In January 2016, the life of 29-year-old Michael Johnson was tragically cut short in a brutal act of gang violence. Believing him to be a member of the rival Bloods gang, members of the MS-13's Brentwood-based Sailors clique targeted Johnson after spotting him at a local deli. He was lured to a wooded area in Brentwood under the pretense of smoking marijuana.
Once in the secluded location, Johnson was ambushed by his attackers.
He was mercilessly beaten with a baseball bat, stabbed with a knife, and hacked with a machete. His body was discovered in the woods between Suffolk Avenue and Second Avenue by two men who were walking through the area. An autopsy later confirmed that he had suffered a significant head injury. The discovery of his body launched a homicide investigation that would uncover a string of violent crimes committed by the notorious street gang.
The investigation into Johnson's murder was part of a larger crackdown on MS-13 activity in the area. His slaying was the first of seven murders attributed to the Sailors clique. One of the individuals involved, Jonathan Hernandez, also known as 'Kraken' and 'Travieso,' was arrested and eventually pleaded guilty to racketeering charges in May 2022, which included his role in Johnson's murder.
In February 2024, Hernandez, who was 26 at the time of sentencing, was ordered to serve more than 43 years in prison for his participation in the murder of Michael Johnson and the killing of another man, 19-year-old Oscar Acosta. During the sentencing, Johnson's father confronted Hernandez, expressing the profound and lasting pain his son's murder had inflicted on their family. While he had hoped for a life sentence, he expressed a sense of justice having been served. Two leaders of the Sailors clique, Jairo and Alexi Saenz, were also scheduled to go on trial in September 2023 for their roles in Johnson's death and other violent crimes.
