Detectives say the 18-year-old used the victim’s car and credit cards after the shooting.
PHOENIX — An 18-year-old Laveen resident was arrested late Monday after officers conducting a welfare check found his 57-year-old neighbor dead in a backyard and the teen inside the house, Phoenix police said. Investigators allege the teen shot the homeowner in late December, then stayed in the man’s home for weeks.
Police identified the suspect as Xzavion Johnson and the victim as David Jimenez. Officers went to the home near 51st and Southern avenues around 11:15 p.m. Monday, Jan. 12, after neighbors reported they had not seen Jimenez in several days. Detectives say Johnson admitted during an interview that he entered the property on Dec. 29 to steal and shot Jimenez multiple times when confronted. Officials say Johnson then remained in the house, drove Jimenez’s vehicle and used his credit cards while the victim’s body lay in the yard. Johnson is jailed on a $1 million cash bond as the investigation continues. No other suspects are sought, police said.
According to police, the call that brought officers to the street followed days of concern in the neighborhood. When officers arrived, a neighbor told them they believed someone was still inside the residence because of frequent comings and goings. Officers tried to contact anyone inside, then saw a body in the backyard later identified as Jimenez. Detectives said the remains were in advanced stages of decomposition. Believing the home was occupied, officers established a perimeter and negotiated through what police described as an extended barricade. Johnson eventually exited and surrendered. In a later interview, investigators say, Johnson admitted breaking in with a handgun during a planned burglary, shooting Jimenez three times, and covering the body with blankets before moving back and forth from the house in the weeks that followed.
Neighbors described Jimenez as a quiet presence who tended a corner-lot yard and had lived in the area for decades. Several left flowers and candles along the driveway. “It’s incredibly tragic,” neighbor Thomas Brodersen said, adding that he had known both men by sight. Another resident, Molly Hervieux, called the case “completely unbelievable.” A third neighbor, Paul Garrobo, said the holiday timing may have masked gunshots. “Those fireworks — you wouldn’t think it was a gun,” Garrobo said. Police said Johnson lived one door down from Jimenez. Investigators also said Johnson’s mother noticed a foul odor near Jimenez’s house and, during a check on the neighbor, saw that a package on the porch was addressed to her son. She dialed 911.
Detectives said court paperwork indicates Johnson told them he had stolen the handgun about 10 days before the killing. Two shell casings and a cartridge matching the stolen weapon were found on Jimenez’s back porch, according to investigators. Family members told police Jimenez had recently retired after a long career as a nurse with the Department of Veterans Affairs and had no spouse or children. Police have not said whether any surveillance footage was recovered from the house or neighboring properties, and they have not publicly outlined how often the victim’s accounts or vehicle were used after Dec. 29. Officials said the body was discovered the night of Jan. 12 during the welfare check; an exact time of death in December has not been released.
Johnson faces counts including murder and burglary. He made an initial court appearance this week, where a judge called the alleged conduct disturbing and set bond at $1 million cash. Detectives said they do not believe anyone else was involved. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office will review the case for formal charges once detectives finish compiling reports and lab results. Phoenix police said additional documents, including the full probable-cause statement and any ballistic testing, will be submitted to prosecutors in the coming days. A defense attorney had not been listed in court records as of Thursday morning. A next hearing date was not immediately available.
On Seely Street, where neighbors said they were used to seeing Jimenez out front most afternoons, a small memorial grew by midweek. “We all liked David,” Brodersen said. “The kid was nice too. We never had an issue with him ever.” Residents said officers were on the block for hours during the barricade and arrest. A woman who brought flowers said she didn’t know Jimenez personally but wanted to mark the loss. “It’s sad he lived here by himself,” she said. “We’re going to show up for him.”
As of Thursday, Johnson remained jailed on the $1 million bond. Police said the homicide investigation is active, and they expect to present additional evidence to county prosecutors soon. Officials have not announced a tentative preliminary hearing date.
Author note: Last updated January 15, 2026.