Families gathered at Wilshire Park Elementary School Friday evening to mourn the jarring loss of third-grade teacher Mayra Jimenez, who prosecutors allege was killed by her firefighter husband at their North Hollywood home.
Many tears were shed as children, parents and friends remembered “Miss Mayra” — the devoted 46-year-old educator whose violent death has devastated the Koreatown school community.
Mayra’s husband, Andrew Jimenez, 45, was arrested Wednesday and charged with murder Friday, according to the L.A. County district attorney’s office. If convicted as charged, he faces 26 years to life in prison.
The crowd at the vigil was so large it overflowed into the street facing the school, where a pile of flowers and prayer candles were laid down to create a memorial for the slain teacher.
Sarah McNeill, a close friend of Mayra’s, said she was deeply loved by the Wilshire Park community and brought warmth into every room she entered.
“She was always smiling, and her generosity, advocacy, and love for her students and colleagues showed up in everything she did,” McNeill said. “She’s the teacher that stayed at recess to give students extra support, called her teaching partner to book ideas for lesson plans over the weekend and went shop to shop to find just the right supplies to make her classroom exciting and engaging.”
Karen Chacon said that Mayra transformed her family’s life by giving her child the special attention needed to thrive in the classroom.
“Miss Mayra was not just a teacher,” Chacon said. “She was someone who truly saw children for who they were and believed in who they could become. When our child needed extra care and support, Miss Mayra didn’t step back, she stepped forward.”
Colleagues remembered Mayra as a dedicated educator and active member of the teachers union who spoke up to support the needs of her students and fellow staff members.
“Mayra was an activist, an advocate, a leader, a friend, and most of all a beloved teacher,” said Cecily Myart-Cruz, president of United Teachers Los Angeles. “Her love for her students was paramount, and she worked hard, stayed late, and always led by example.”
Mayra Jimenez’s body was found early Wednesday morning when Los Angeles Police Department officers performed a wellness check at her North Hollywood home at the behest of her husband.
Inside, officers found her bludgeoned to death and an ensuing investigation linked Andrew to the killing, officials said. Authorities allege he used an ax to kill her.
An attorney retained by Andrew’s family told ABC7 that moments before the killing, Andrew read a diary entry in which his wife described engaging in infidelity.
Andrew Jimenez is a longtime firefighter and paramedic who had been with the Glendale Fire Department since 2008. He has since been placed on administrative leave, according to the city.
“The domestic violence death of Mayra Jimenez is a devastating reminder of the persistent scourge of intimate partner violence in our communities,” L.A. County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman said in a statement. “No one, including those sworn to protect others, is above the law, and we will hold the defendant accountable for this horrific crime and bring justice to Ms. Jimenez and her loved ones.”
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