VISTA — A 55-year-old man was arrested and charged with the suspected first-degree murder of his 80-year-old female relative at a home along Riviera Drive on Tuesday, the Sheriff’s Office reported.
While responding to a report of a battery in the 2100 block of Riviera Drive around 2:30 p.m., Vista Patrol Station deputies discovered a woman with traumatic injuries. First responders provided medical aid and transported the victim to the hospital, but she died from her injuries the next day.
The victim has been identified as Linda Johnson, 80, of Arizona. Deputies arrested Tad Johnson of Vista at the scene. He was booked into the Vista Detention Facility and will be arraigned in Vista Superior Court on Friday afternoon, per sheriff’s records.
While an investigation into the motivation and circumstances of the crime is ongoing, sheriff’s officials said the homicide appears to be an isolated incident, and there is no apparent danger to the community.
Officials confirmed that Johnson is a relative of the victim, but did not clarify their exact relationship.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Homicide Unit at (858) 285-6330 or at their after-hours line at (858) 565-5200. You can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
