Draylon Deshune Johnson, a 2018 football standout for the Aztecs, pleaded not guilty on Monday in Victorville.
VICTORVILLE — An 18-year-old man arrested at Barstow High School last week has been charged by prosecutors with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit a crime.
Draylon Deshune Johnson, a former standout football player, appeared via video before San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Susan Slater in a Victorville courtroom Monday afternoon and pleaded not guilty to the charges, court records show.
Slater set bail at $1 million for Johnson, who had a public defender appointed to his case.
Barstow police Captain Andy Espinoza Jr. said Johnson and two teenagers were arrested in connection to a shooting in Barstow in the early morning hours of Jan. 4. The teenagers are 15 and 17 year old.
Espinoza said an officer took a report from the victim around 2:45 p.m. on Jan. 4, and learned that the victim heard several gunshots and a vehicle “speed from the 200 block of East Main Street.”
“The victim stated that his vehicle was struck by several bullets and provided Officer (Ruben) Escalante with several bullet casings that were collected from the area of the shooting,” Espinoza said in a statement.
The vehicle was processed for evidence. Further investigation conducted by Det. Matthew Helms revealed that the shooting was allegedly over a stolen bicycle, according to Espinoza.
The victim said he reviewed video surveillance that showed the 15 year old stealing a customer’s bicycle. He then sent the teen a message on social media asking that the bike be returned.
“During the social media conversation, the 17 year old sent the victim a threatening message,” Espinoza said. “Shortly after, the shooting occurred…”
Authorities obtained the video of the alleged theft and were able to link the teens to the crime.
Espinoza said detectives located the 17 year old at a gym in Silver Lakes, where he was detained. He was arrested Jan. 7 at his home in Helendale on suspicion of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit a crime.
Espinoza said the bicycle, a gun, bullets, casings and “other items of evidence” were seized from the home.
“The firearm seized during the search warrant matched the caliber of the casings that were located at the shooting scene and appears to be the same firearm that was depicted in the threatening photograph and message sent through social media,” Espinoza said.
Further investigation revealed the teens planned to shoot and kill the victim, and that Johnson was with the teens at the time of the shooting, Espinoza said.
Johnson was located at the high school on Jan. 9 and arrested at approximately 10:39 a.m.
The 15 year old was arrested at approximately 12:05 p.m. that same day as he was walking in the 2000 block of Sequoia Drive.
Both teens were booked at High Desert Juvenile Detention and Assessment Center in Apple Valley.
Johnson, who is currently being held at High Desert Detention Center in Adelanto, is due back in court Thursday for a pre-preliminary hearing.
Johnson, according to MaxPreps.com rosters, previously played football at Barstow High and at Riverside Preparatory High School in Oro Grande.
In 2018, Johnson was listed on Barstow’s MaxPreps.com roster as 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, the same information listed on booking records. That season, Johnson was named to the Desert Sky League’s First Team as a defensive lineman.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Helms at 760-255-5132. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the WeTip hotline at 800-782-7436 or visit www.WeTip.com.
Jose Quintero may be reached at 760-951-6274 or JQuintero@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DP_JoseQ.