Families gathered at Wilshire Park Elementary School Friday night to mourn the painful loss of third-grade teacher Mayra Jimenez, who prosecutors say was murdered by her firefighter husband in their North Hollywood home.
Many tears were shed as children, parents and friends remembered “Miss Mayra,” the 46-year-old devoted 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 Los Angeles County district attorney's office. If convicted of the charges, he faces 26 years to life in prison.
The crowd at the vigil was so large that it spilled onto the street in front of the school, where piles of flowers and prayer candles were placed to create a memorial to the slain teacher.
Friends, colleagues and students lay flowers for slain teacher Mayra Jimenez at a memorial service at Wilshire Park Elementary School on Friday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Sarah McNeil, a close friend of Mayra, said she was deeply loved by the Wilshire Park community and brought warmth to every room she entered.
“She was always smiling and her generosity, advocacy and love for her students and colleagues came through in everything she did,” McNeil said. “She is the teacher who stayed at recess to provide extra support to students, called her teaching partner to reserve lesson plan ideas over the weekend, and went from store to store to find the right supplies to make her classroom exciting and engaging.”
Karen Chacón said Mayra transformed her family's life by giving her son the special attention he needed to thrive in the classroom.
“Miss Mayra was not just a teacher,” Chacón said. “She was someone who truly saw children as they were and believed in what they could become. When our son needed extra care and support, Miss Mayra didn't take a step back, she took a step forward.”
Colleagues remembered Mayra as a dedicated educator and active member of the teachers union who spoke out to support the needs of her students and fellow staff.
Bryant Ruiz keeps his arm around his 9-year-old son Ian, who was a student of murdered teacher Mayra Jiménez.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
“Mayra was an activist, an advocate, a leader, a friend and, above all, a beloved teacher,” said Cecily Myart-Cruz, president of United Teachers Los Angeles. “His love for his students was paramount, he worked hard, stayed late and always led by example.”
Mayra Jiménez's body was found early Wednesday when Los Angeles police officers conducted a welfare check at her North Hollywood home at the behest of her husband.
Inside, officers found her beaten to death, and a subsequent investigation linked Andrew to the murder, authorities said. Authorities allege he used an ax to kill her.
An attorney hired by Andrew's family told ABC7 that moments before the murder, Andrew read a diary entry in which his wife described her involvement in infidelity.
Andrew Jimenez is a long-time firefighter and paramedic who has 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 Jiménez is a devastating reminder of the persistent scourge of intimate partner violence in our communities,” said the Los Angeles County District Court. Lawyer. 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 for Ms. Jimenez and her loved ones.”
