Andrew Jimenez, 45, a Glendale firefighter, appeared silent and restrained at a brief court hearing in downtown Los Angeles as a judge set a preliminary hearing for Oct. 21, 2026. He has pleaded not guilty to one count of murder in the Jan. 21 death of his wife, 46-year-old schoolteacher Mayra Jimenez, who was found with fatal blunt-force injuries at the couple's North Hollywood home. Authorities allege an ax was used; Jimenez remains in custody without bail and faces 26 years to life if convicted.
Stone-Faced Glendale Firefighter Appears in LA Court as Murder Case Moves Forward
Andrew Jimenez, 45, a Glendale firefighter, appeared stone-faced Wednesday at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in downtown Los Angeles as a judge set the next major court date in the homicide case against him. Jimenez was escorted in jail-issued clothing and restraints and remained largely silent during the brief proceeding.
Stone-faced firefighter, Andrew Jimenez, accused of killing wife with an ax stares straight ahead during Los Angeles court appearance. Frederick M. Brown for CA Post
Court Appearance
The hearing lasted roughly three minutes. Rather than sit beside his defense team, the judge ordered Jimenez to a wooden chair against the courtroom wall. Prosecutors and defense counsel agreed to schedule a preliminary hearing for Oct. 21, 2026, when witnesses are expected to testify and the prosecution is anticipated to begin presenting evidence. As deputies escorted him from the courtroom, one of his attorneys spoke with Jimenez briefly; observers said he showed little outward emotion.
Throughout the hearing, Andrew Jimenez remained silent, staring straight ahead with a solemn expression in the courtroom. Frederick M. Brown for CA Post
Allegations and Arrest
Prosecutors say the case stems from the Jan. 21 death of Jimenez's wife, 46-year-old schoolteacher Mayra Jimenez, who was found inside the couple's North Hollywood home suffering fatal blunt-force injuries. Authorities allege Andrew Jimenez attacked her with an ax. Police arrested him the same day after he reportedly asked officers to perform a welfare check at the residence; officers discovered the woman's body and took Jimenez into custody.
The firefighter is accused of killing his wife, Mayra Jimenez, a schoolteacher who was found dead inside the couple's North Hollywood home after suffering fatal blunt-force injuries. Obtained by CA Post
Legal Status and Evidence
Jimenez has pleaded not guilty to one count of murder and remains held in custody without bail. In an earlier stage of the investigation a former attorney for Jimenez told The Post that his client had found entries in his wife's diary suggesting infidelity; that attorney subsequently withdrew from the case. Those diary-related claims have not been proven in court, and prosecutors say they have not yet identified an official motive in the charges filed so far.
Mayra Jimenez was found at the couple's home suffering fatal blunt-force injuries. Obtained by the NY Post
Background
Jimenez joined the Glendale Fire Department as a paramedic in 2008 and was promoted to firefighter in 2024.
What Comes Next
The October preliminary hearing will be the first opportunity in court for witnesses to testify and for attorneys to begin presenting the factual record. If convicted of murder under the charges currently filed, Jimenez faces a potential sentence of 26 years to life in California state prison.
Photographs from the courthouse captured Jimenez with a solemn, straight-ahead stare during the brief appearance; image credits accompanying those photos included Frederick M. Brown and CA Post. The short hearing yielded few new public details about the evidence, and investigators and prosecutors continue to build their case ahead of the preliminary hearing.
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