PHOENIX (KPHO/Gray News) — Authorities in Arizona said a suspect was found living inside the home of a man the suspect is accused of killing during a break-in late last month.
On Monday night, Phoenix police officers checked on a home in the Laveen neighborhood after the homeowner had not been heard from for several days.
Around the same time, officials said the mother of 18-year-old Xzavion Johnson reported she had not heard from her son since he left home on Dec. 29.
The mother also reported she had not seen her neighbor since then, either. She said this was unusual, and she also noticed a foul odor near the man’s house.
Court documents said the mother went to check on her neighbor on Monday and found a package on the porch addressed to her son. She told police she did not know of any reason her son and her neighbor would be connected.
The disappearance of her son and neighbor, the strange package and the foul odor prompted the mother to call 911, police said.
When officers arrived at the home, they said they found the neighbor dead in the home’s backyard and “in advanced stages of decomposition,” court documents said. Officials later identified the victim as 57-year-old David Jimenez.
Officers said they believe the suspect, identified as Johnson, was still inside the home and set up a barricade. Police said Johnson came out of the home and was arrested at the scene.
During the investigation, police said Johnson told detectives he saw Jimenez’s side gate open on Dec. 29. He said he entered the man’s property intending to steal money while armed with a handgun.
When Jimenez found him, Johnson said he shot and killed the homeowner. According to court documents, Johnson told detectives his goal was to kill Jimenez, and he shot him multiple times.
Investigators said Johnson then covered the victim’s body with blankets in the backyard.
Johnson told police he had been living inside Jimenez’s home since his death and had been using the victim’s credit cards and driving the victim’s vehicle to different locations in the area.
Police said Johnson and Jimenez were neighbors. Johnson lived several houses down the street.
Investigators said they also learned Johnson had stolen the handgun ten days before Jimenez was killed. Two casings and a cartridge matching the stolen gun were found on the back porch of Jimenez’s home, court documents said.
Johnson was booked on several charges, including murder and burglary. Detectives do not believe there are any additional suspects in this crime.
This incident remains an active investigation.
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