Murder Suspect Believed to Be Seen in O.C. Traffic Stop
Police are warning residents that they believe a man who fled during a traffic stop earlier this month is wanted in Oakland for two murders.
Costa Mesa police said Friday that they believe Samuel Lee Johnson, 28, is the man who fled on foot near Bristol Street and the San Diego Freeway after his van was pulled over for false registration on Nov. 4.
Oakland police have been searching for Johnson since they linked him to the July 9 abduction, torture and killing of a drug dealer and his girlfriend, said Oakland Police Sgt. Tom Swisher.
The body of Devon Chung was found in Redwood City, while that of his girlfriend, Traci Carter, was found on the campus of Stanford University, Swisher said.
Johnson was a rival drug dealer, Swisher said.
The Oakland sergeant said he was in Orange County this week to collect evidence from the 1985 blue Ford van. That evidence, he said, has helped identify three other suspects in the killings. Those suspects have not been arrested.
Johnson is black, 6 feet 1, 190 pounds, with brown eyes and a shaved head.
“I can’t impress upon you how dangerous this guy is,” Swisher said.
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