A preliminary hearing in the murder case of Sidney Terrance Johnson, accused of fatally shooting a woman during a car-to-car confrontation on the Foothill Freeway, is set for Tuesday.
Johnson, 26, faces first-degree murder charges in the September 2021 shooting death of Bertha Hernandez, a 35-year-old Monrovia resident.
The hearing Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. in Pasadena Courthouse will determine additional court dates in the ongoing prosecution.
Prosecutors allege Johnson shot Hernandez multiple times while driving side by side on the eastbound Interstate 210 in Arcadia.
Witnesses reported seeing Johnson fire at least 10 shots, with two bullets striking Hernandez.
Surveillance footage provided crucial evidence, showing Johnson’s Infiniti sedan following Hernandez’s black Mercedes-Benz from her home to the freeway.
The shooting occurred around 9 a.m. on September 4, during morning rush hour traffic.
California Highway Patrol investigators believe evidence suggests the shooting was potentially premeditated.
Hernandez’s mother testified that Johnson was her daughter’s boyfriend.
Johnson was arrested on November 9, 2021, after a two-month investigation by the CHP Southern Division Major Crimes Unit.
He was initially processed at the Pasadena Police Department jail with bail initially set at $2 million and later increased to $2.05 million.
The incident resulted in approximately eight to nine hours of freeway closure and extensive law enforcement investigation.
Hernandez was pronounced dead at the scene after her vehicle crashed into a sound wall at the Baldwin Avenue off-ramp.
Johnson remains in custody at the Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles.
The case continues to proceed through the Los Angeles County Superior Court’s Northeast District.
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