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August 22, 2025 9 mins
On April 8th, 2024 — the day of a rare solar eclipse — Los Angeles was rocked by a chain of events that defied belief.
Danielle Johnson, known online as astrology influencer Danielle Ayoka, spiraled into a morning of shocking violence that left three people dead, including her infant daughter, and one child fighting to recover.

In this episode of Rogue Darkness, we uncover the verified facts of that day: the disturbing social media posts that preceded the tragedy, the timeline of events from Woodland Hills to the 405 Freeway, and the aftermath that left a community searching for answers.

This is not just the story of a true crime — it’s a stark reminder of how quickly reality can unravel.

⚠️Listener discretion advised.

📚SOURCES:

“Mother Accused of Killing Partner, Throwing Kids from Car before Fatal Crash.” AP News, 9 Apr. 2024, https://apnews.com/article/dan.... Accessed 10 Aug. 2025.

Fry, Hannah. “Woodland Hills Woman Killed Partner, Threw Daughters from Car before Fatal Crash, Police Say.” Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024, https://www.latimes.com/califo.... Accessed 10 Aug. 2025.

“New Details Emerge in Eclipse Day Tragedy Involving Astrology Influencer.” ABC7 Los Angeles, 9 Apr. 2024, https://abc7.com/danielle-john.... Accessed 10 Aug. 2025.

Martinez, Lizbeth. “Danielle Johnson’s Death Ruled Accidental after Murder of Partner, Infant Daughter.” People, 5 July 2024, https://people.com/danielle-jo.... Accessed 10 Aug. 2025.

“Brazilian Suspect ‘Killed in the Name of God.’” BBC News, 13 Jan. 2011, www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-a.... Accessed 10 Aug. 2025. (Only if you referenced ritual crimes comparison; otherwise omit.)

ABC 7 News: https://youtube.com/shorts/0sn...

NBCLA: https://youtu.be/OhQKBP6OSGM?s...

#DanielleJohnson #DanielleAyoka #EclipseDayTragedy #AstrologyInfluencer #TrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #TrueCrimeCommunity #MurderCase #DarkHistory #CrimeDocumentary #TrueCrimeStories #LosAngelesCrime #ParanormalAndCrime #RogueDarkness
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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Dark Cast Network. Welcome to the dark side of podcasts.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Belief they would decliffe animals.

Speaker 3 (00:15):
Dark world of ritualistic chodobies. Is there a well organized plot,
an insidious design to program the minds of our children
towards the occult and witchcraft?

Speaker 4 (00:26):
Does it make you want to hate murder?

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Or does it make you want to do murder?

Speaker 1 (00:30):
Let's explore the darkness of mankind one Crime at a Time.
Welcome back to Rogue Darkness, the podcast that uncovers how
the misinterpretations and misinformation surrounding witchcraft, the occult, and other
beliefs have led many to do unthinkable crimes. From ritualistic
killings and the demons that live in all of us,

(00:51):
to exploration of the macabre and delving deep into the unknown,
Let's explore the darkness of mankind, one crime at a Time.
I'm your host of the Grim and Gruesome Raven. On
the morning of April eighth, twenty twenty four, the day

(01:14):
of a highly anticipated solar eclipse, the city of Los
Angeles awoke to a chain of events that would shock
the nation. By the end of the day, three lives
would be lost, one child would be fighting to recover,
and the online world would be left trying to piece
together how it all unfolded. This is the tragic case

(01:37):
of Danielle Johnson.

Speaker 3 (01:40):
Online. Danielle Johnson was known as Danielle Ayoka, a popular
astrology influencer and self proclaimed divine healer with more than
one hundred thousand followers on x. An appearance on a
podcast several months ago a possible foreshadowing of the tragedy
to come, Like.

Speaker 5 (01:56):
When there's a full Wounder's higher crime race, there's more burds, eclipses,
there's more bursts, there's more deaths.

Speaker 3 (02:02):
In the days leading up to Monday's eclipse and the
murders she posted about the end of the world, one
reading in part wake up, the Apocalypse is here. In another,
she said the eclipse is the epitome of spiritual warfare
and that if you ever need to pick aside, the
time to do right in your life is now. Investigators
now combing through the thirty four year old social media
for clues as to a possible motive. On Johnson's website,

(02:26):
she says a near death experience at three years old
drew her into becoming an astrologer and a reiki master.
Her career, her online posts, and her deadly path of
tragedy all part of the ongoing search for answers.

Speaker 1 (02:40):
Danielle Johnson was a well known figure in online astrology circles,
an influencer and self described spiritual healer with a devoted
following under the name Danielle Ayoka, she shared astrological readings,
spiritual guidance, and cosmic insights to over one hundred thousand followers,

(03:02):
But in the days leading up to the April eclipse,
her social media post took on a darker, more urgent tone.
She warned of spiritual warfare and an impending apocalypse, urging
followers to choose a side. While her messages seemed cryptic
to some, others noticed an unsettling edge to her words.

(03:24):
It was the morning of April eighth. That morning, violence
erupted inside Danielle's Woodland Hills apartment. Her partner, twenty nine
year old Jalen Allan Cheney, was found stabbed to death
after neighbours alerted police. Investigators later identified Danielle as the
primary suspect. Fleeing the scene, Danielle took her two young daughters,

(03:47):
one just eight months old, the other an elementary school
age child and drove south along the four H five Freeway.
Witnesses reported seeing her push the children from her moving suv.
The infant did not survive. The older child, though gravely injured,
lived and was rushed to a nearby hospital. Not long after,

(04:09):
Danielle's vehicle slammed into a tree in Redondo Beach. The
impact killed her instantly. Early media reports painted the events
as part of a murder suicide, but months later, the
Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled Danielle's death as accidental
caused by the force of the crash, rather than an

(04:30):
intentional act of self harm. Police, however, still considered her
responsible for the killings. Earlier that morning, they reviewed her
social media activity, noting her increasingly erratic posts about the eclipse.
Though officials stopped short of declaring a direct link between
the astronomical event and her actions, because Danielle was an

(04:52):
astrology influencer. The headlines came quickly, many framing the eclipse
as the driving force behind the tragedy. It was an
easy narrative, an apocalyptic warning tied to a cosmic event
ending in violence, but the reality is far more complicated.
We still don't know what truly led to that morning's horror.

Speaker 4 (05:16):
Danielle Johnson had a very large presence on social media.
She had over one hundred thousand followers, and she posted
about her fears about the eclipse and the apocalypse.

Speaker 6 (05:27):
But neighbors here.

Speaker 4 (05:28):
At the Montecito apartments where she lived says here she
was very much keeping to herself. She barely said hi
to anyone.

Speaker 6 (05:37):
NBC four's I team has confirmed that Danielle Johnson was
also known as Danielle Aoca Online. Under this alias, Johnson
made several disturbing posts. Some were anti Semitic, others warned
about the solar eclipse, calling it the epitome of spiritual warfare.
Hours before the solar eclipse on Monday, police ay Johnson
went on a rampage, killing her partner and throwing her

(05:59):
children into traffic on the four or five, and then
crashing her car into a tree on.

Speaker 2 (06:04):
Pch Horrible, I mean, just the whole thing.

Speaker 6 (06:08):
Anita Mezzar lived on the same floor as Johnson and
her family.

Speaker 2 (06:12):
I only saw her one time. I came out of
my apartment and she was there with the stroller with
the little baby. The baby wasn't even a year old.

Speaker 6 (06:23):
That eight month old baby was in the arms of
Johnson's nine year old daughter when police say Johnson pushed
them out of her moving car on the four or five.
The nine year old managed to get to the side
of the freeway. The baby was hit by a car
and killed.

Speaker 2 (06:37):
She's insane. Yeah, that she had mental problems to do
what she did the way that she did it. Yeah,
it was. It's just awful.

Speaker 6 (06:49):
Anita and other neighbors now pouring over Johnson's social media posts.

Speaker 5 (06:53):
I don't know if you've gone to her Twitter or
x page, but we didn't realize how mentally unstable she
was a lot of banta Semitic remarks.

Speaker 6 (07:01):
Norman and others say, Johnson and the family kept to themselves.

Speaker 5 (07:05):
She was just very stand office. When we walk our dog,
she just didn't wouldn't say hi.

Speaker 6 (07:09):
But never imagine she was capable of what police say
she did. So many in the building, Norman says, haunted
by what happened.

Speaker 5 (07:16):
On Monday, the friends of ours heard cleading, blood curling, screams,
pleading for his life.

Speaker 6 (07:22):
Online, Johnson described herself as a recording artist and an astrologer,
and sold healing sessions and products. Johnson was killed when
her car crashed into a tree in Redondo Beach. Pully
say she was going over one hundred miles per hour.

Speaker 1 (07:36):
There are no public records indicating prior domestic violence or
criminal charges, no obvious warning signs that would have predicted
such a drastic turn. The surviving child remained central to
the investigation, and her name and image have been rightfully protected.
Three lives are gone, and the community continues to reel

(07:58):
from an event that spiraled out of cont in a
matter of hours.

Speaker 5 (08:03):
Only people in this situation would simply either get help
or if they would, just not take others out with them.

Speaker 1 (08:12):
This case stands as a chilling reminder of how quickly
lives can change, and how online personas can mask the
reality of what's happening behind closed doors. If you enjoyed
this episode, please consider subscribing to Rogue Darkness on your
favorite podcast platform. Your support helps us continue to bring

(08:35):
you more stories of true crime and the paranormal. Definitely
let me know your thoughts on this case, and if
you have any questions regarding it or any other cases
I've previously covered, you can always contact me at Rogue
darknesspod at gmail dot com. You can also always reach
out to me directly on my socials, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok,
and YouTube are all at Rogue Underscore Darkness. Always be

(09:00):
sure to share the podcast with anyone who you think
would like it, and be sure to leave a rating
a review over on Apple, iTunes, Spotify, Good Pods, or
anywhere else you can leave a review to let other
listeners know you enjoy the show, and if you want
some personalized shout outs and other exclusives, definitely check out
my Patreon by visiting patreon dot com slash Rogue Darkness.

(09:22):
You can also check out my Bonfire shop if you
want to get your hands on some merch to support
the show even further. As always, all the links for
everything discussed in my episodes are down in the description
box of the episode. And with that said, that concludes
this week's episode of Rogue Darkness. The darkness is all
around us, and I can confidently say that reality truly

(09:45):
is more terrifying than fiction. Until next time,
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