Hearing Set for Alleged South Pasadena Attacker

A pre-trial hearing will be held on Wednesday for a 52-year-old Los Angeles man who allegedly burglarized a South Pasadena home back in 2012 and beat a 79-year-old grandmother before escaping with a fistful of jewelry.

Alonzo Bernard Johnson, who was 49 when the crime was committed, will be brought to the Alhambra Courthouse on 150 W Commonwealth Avenue where he is charged with one count each of first-degree burglary with a person present, first-degree residential robbery and kidnapping to commit a crime.

He is also charged with inflicting injury on a victim over 70, and personally using a knife.

On August 5th, 2012, at about 7:45 a.m., Johnson allegedly walked into the home of the victim after he saw the door had been left open, and asked to charge his cellphone. When the victim told him to leave, he allegedly pulled out a knife and threatened to kill her. The suspect dragged the victim into a rear bedroom and beat her, striking her in the face several times.

The victim was also taken to different parts of the home at knife-point while the suspect looked for money. Johnson allegedly tried to tie the victim’s hands behind her back, but the woman’s grandchildren arrived.

The suspect ran taking with him a handful of jewelry, but was arrested after about 30 minutes with the help of Pasadena, Los Angeles, Monterey Park and San Marino Police Departments.

It turned out later that Johnson was a parolee with at least seven prior convictions and had been in and out of jail. If convicted, Johnson could face life in state prison.

The grandmother had recovered from her injuries.