A man accused of causing fatal injuries to his 80-year-old mother in Vista was ordered Monday to stand trial for second-degree murder.
Tad Christopher Johnson, 55, is accused of killing Linda Johnson, who was mortally wounded at a Riviera Drive residence on Oct. 14.
According to testimony from a preliminary hearing held in Vista Superior Court, sheriff’s deputies responded after the victim’s son called 911 and stated he’d hit his mother following an argument.
Responding deputies found Linda Johnson face down on the floor of the residence in a pool of blood, deputies testified. She was taken to a hospital, where she died the following day, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office.
Tad Johnson was arrested at the scene.
Johnson’s defense attorney, Mark Geragos, argued that according to statements his client made to investigators, his mother struck him first. In those statements, Johnson said he punched his mother twice in the face.
Geragos argued that according to those statements, his client was provoked, making the case at most a manslaughter.
Superior Court Judge Saba Sheibani said that in holding Johnson to answer for murder, she could not overlook the vulnerability of the victim due to her age and small stature when compared to her son. The judge also said Linda Johnson suffered extensive injuries — to include facial fractures, bruising and lacerations — that she said involved enough force to leave apparent blood spatter on a nearby wall and cause her son’s hand to swell up.