Exclusive: Throat slashing victim tells his story

June 19, 2017

By KAREN VELIE

A 40-year-old San Luis Obispo woman allegedly lured a former boyfriend to a secluded location, began rubbing his shoulders, tilted his head back and cut his throat from one side to the other with a box cutter, the victim said in an exclusive interview with CalCoastNews.

Robert Johnson, 55, and Erika Christine Deherrera’s twelve years relationship was fraught with gambling, affairs and substance abuse issues, Johnson said. Three years ago, Johnson called it quits and eventually relocated to Hawaii.

A few weeks ago, Johnson flew back to San Luis Obispo to pack up items he had left behind. A phone call from Deherrera, in which she said she had lost all of her belongings in a fire last March that destroyed a residence on Portola Road in Atascadero, prompted a reunion, Johnson said.

Following the fire, Deherrera and her current boyfriend moved to Sunny Acres, a sober living facility in San Luis Obispo. Johnson said Deherrera told him she was clean and sober, but needed some help.

Johnson then agreed to lend Deherrera $300 and chauffeur her to a job interview and shopping. While at Home Depot in San Luis Obispo, Deherrera purchased a box cutter.

On Saturday afternoon, as they drove back to Sunny Acres, Deherrera asked Johnson to stop at the Bishop Peak trailhead so she could “chill for a bit.” The two then walked to a small pond where they sat down on the ground to talk, he said.

“She said ,’Hey, want me to rub your back?’ ” Johnson said.

While Deherrera rubbed his back, Johnson talked about his life in Hawaii. Deherrera then tilted Johnson’s head back and jabbed the box cutter into his neck. Johnson said.

“She was acting like she was going to crack my neck, then she reached around and started slicing my throat,” Johnson said. “I grabbed her and threw her over the top of me.”

Johnson then attempted to take the box cutter from Deherrera. The two fought over the box cutter until Johnson, while blood sprayed from his neck onto his ex, punched Deherrera in the face several times, he said. Afraid she would go after him, Johnson then kicked Deherrera.

After pulling off his shirt to apply pressure to his wound, Johnson ran up the trail to Foothill Boulevard where he began waving down drivers. But no one wanted to allow a bleeding man in their car, Johnson said.

“I waved 10, 15, 20 drivers down, but no one would take me in their car, no one would drive me to the hospital,” Johnson said. “I thought I was going to bleed to death.”

Nevertheless, an EMT on her way to work stopped and helped put pressure on the wound until an ambulance arrived and transported Johnson to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center where he was treated for a seven inch cut that sliced through his jugular vein, he said. He was released Saturday night.

While Johnson was in surgery, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s deputies found Deherrera hiding in some bushes at a neighborhood near the trail on Cerro Romaldo Avenue. Deputies arrested her for attempted murder and booked Deherrera into the San Luis Obispo Jail with her bail set at $500,000.