Tuolumne County District Attorney Cassandra Jenecke announced today that on September 15, 2025, David Sean Johnson of Sonora was sentenced to a total of 24 years in State Prison. The sentence derives from three separate felony cases.
On May 2, 2025, a Tuolumne County jury returned verdicts of guilty to violations of Corporal Injury on a Spouse, Assault with a Deadly Weapon, False Imprisonment by Violence, Felon in Possession of Ammunition, and Resisting, Delaying, and Obstructing a Peace Officer. The jury heard evidence that on October 24, 2024, the defendant began to argue with the victim, accusing her of infidelity. The defendant struck the victim, grabbed her by the hair and dragged her from the front door when she attempted to leave. The defendant later kicked the victim and then wrapped a chain that he had previously hung from the ceiling around her neck approximately three times strangling her. Eventually, the defendant dropped the victim off at an apartment complex where close friends and family called 911 on her behalf. Later that night, the defendant was located by law enforcement, and after refusing to comply with their commands and resisting, they were able to take him into custody. When law enforcement went to the victim’s house where the assault occurred, they found the chain, still attached to the ceiling as well as ammunition that the victim indicated the defendant would play with. The defendant has prior felony convictions and is prohibited from possessing ammunition.
Thereafter, on July 8, 2025, the defendant pled guilty in his two other felony cases. He pled guilty to Recklessly Fleeing a Peace Officer when on March 17, 2024, he ignored lights and sirens and even reversed the wrong way on the off ramp of Highway 108 to Mono Way before crashing and being apprehended. He also pled guilty to Assault with a Deadly Weapon and admitted Personal Infliction of Great Bodily Injury when on May 9, 2024, he struck a man with a hammer, breaking his arm.
At sentencing, the defense requested the Court strike numerous allegations, including the defendant’s prior strike that he suffered in 2015 when he committed a battery causing serious bodily injury. The People vehemently opposed any reduction in the defendant’s sentence. Judge Laura L. Krieg agreed with the People stating “[i]n all of these three offenses that come before this Court today, the Court believes Mr. Johnson posed a very very high risk of danger to society.”
These cases were prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Novelli.
