Beahm pleads not guilty in crash, Henson sentenced in another case

By Neal Putnam

A young Ramona man who is accused of crashing his car into a bank wall while fleeing sheriff’s deputies on Aug. 11 had been released from jail on July 27 on probation for theft, according to court records.

Daniel James Beahm, 18, has pleaded not guilty to the new charges, which include hit and run, evading police, auto theft, and receiving stolen property. His next hearing is on Aug. 23 in El Cajon Superior Court, with a preliminary hearing in September.

Beahm is alleged to have driven a red Mitsubishi Eclipse that was stolen from the 700 block of B Street in Ramona. A deputy spotted the car at 14th and Main streets and pursued it. Beahm was driving too fast and lost control when it sideswiped a chain link fence and hit a wall at the Bank of America.

Beahm was the co-defendant in an auto theft case against Billy Wayne Henson, 36, both of whom were arrested July 8. Beahm was only charged with receiving stolen property while Henson was accused of possessing illegal drugs and paraphernalia.

Henson pleaded guilty to auto theft and was sentenced by Judge William McGrath to three years in jail. Henson is serving that term at the George Bailey Detention Facility and will not be sent to state prison, according to jail records.

Henson’s projected release date is Jan. 6, 2014, according to the sheriff’s department. He was fined $624. Court records say Henson stole a car on June 28 from Manuel Martin.

Henson was sentenced to three years in prison in 2009 after pleading guilty to drunk driving, hit and run, and evading sheriff’s deputies.

Beahm appeared before Judge Charles Ervin and pleaded guilty to theft, and the other charges were dropped. Ervin gave him credit for time served—57 days—and he was released on terms of three years probation.

Beahm’s probation may be revoked because he was charged with the new case. He remains in jail on $55,000 bail.