Willits woman dies after beating by husband, Mendocino County Sheriff's officials say

Mendocino County Sheriff’s officials on Friday said a Willits woman who was badly beaten by her husband on March 30 has died.

The woman, identified as Elenah Louise Elston, 49, died at about 8:15 a.m. Thursday, according to a sheriff’s news release. The county coroner is investigating the case and was expected to conduct a forensic autopsy on Friday.

The woman’s husband, Tavion Johnson, 21, of Willits, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of domestic violence battery. Johnson, who has a history of domestic violence, is being held without bail at Mendocino County Jail on a number of domestic violence charges.

The Mendocino Sheriff’s Office did not indicate whether Johnson’s charges had been updated in light of the woman’s death. The sheriff’s office could not be reached Saturday.

After the suspected battery on March 30, health care workers at Howard Memorial Hospital in Willits were told the woman had been injured in a fall, Sheriff’s Lt. Andrew Porter said. She was later transported to an ?out-of-county hospital for a higher level of treatment.

Elston’s injuries were not consistent with that of a fall, and sheriff’s deputies recognized her from previous domestic violence incidents, he said. Elston had major head injuries which left her unconscious and unable to communicate, officials said.

Deputies interviewed Johnson at his home and concluded that there had been a violent encounter between Johnson and Elston, Porter said.

Sheriff’s detectives are continuing their investigations into the incident and are being assisted by investigators from the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office and staff at the California Department of Justice.

You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213 or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @pressreno.