An 18-year-old Phoenix man is accused of shooting his 57-year-old neighbor during a late December break-in, then living in the victim’s Laveen home until police arrived for a welfare check the night of Jan. 12, 2026. Officers arrested the suspect after a barricade at the house and later identified the victim as David Jimenez.
Police say the case came together quickly because of overlapping calls, a strong odor reported by neighbors and details in newly filed court records. Detectives allege Xzavion Johnson admitted entering Jimenez’s property to steal money while armed with a handgun. The killing is being investigated as a homicide connected to a burglary, and officials say no other suspects are being sought. The discovery rattled a residential pocket near 51st and Southern avenues, where neighbors described Jimenez as quiet and friendly and said the teen lived a door away.
Officers were dispatched around 11:15 p.m. on Jan. 12 to the 5600 block of South Seely Street after neighbors said they had not seen Jimenez in days and believed someone was still inside his house. Police said they looked toward the backyard and saw a man lying dead. The person inside refused to come out at first, so officers set containment and negotiated. After an extended barricade, the occupant exited and was taken into custody without reported injuries. In a later interview, detectives say Johnson stated he went to Jimenez’s home on Dec. 29, 2025, entered through an open side gate and shot the homeowner multiple times when he was confronted. Investigators say Johnson told them he covered the body with blankets and remained in the home.
Court paperwork says Johnson used Jimenez’s credit cards and drove his vehicle to different places around the Valley during the period after the shooting. Investigators also documented packages ordered to the address, according to the filing. Johnson’s mother told authorities she had not seen her son since Dec. 29 and grew worried when she noticed a foul odor near the neighbor’s house and a package on the porch bearing her son’s name. The victim was identified as David Jimenez, 57, a recently retired VA nurse who had lived in Phoenix for decades and whose family is in New Mexico. Police listed Johnson’s age as 18 and said he lived one door down from Jimenez. Officers said they recovered two spent casings and a cartridge on the back porch that matched a handgun reported stolen about 10 days before the killing.
Neighbors who gathered outside described a quiet block where residents know each other by name. “It’s incredibly tragic,” said neighbor Thomas Brodersen, who added that he had known both men for years. Another neighbor, Molly Hervieux, said she was stunned by the timeline. “Completely unbelievable,” she said, noting that candles and flowers appeared in the driveway as word spread about Jimenez’s death. Brodersen said he had never had an issue with the teen before and called Jimenez well liked. Police have not released a detailed sequence of movements during the two weeks after Dec. 29, and they did not provide a precise count of any charges related to alleged financial transactions. Officials emphasized that investigators do not believe additional suspects are involved.
Johnson was booked into the Maricopa County jail on multiple counts including murder and burglary and is being held on a $1 million cash bond, according to arrest and booking information. Detectives said Johnson estimated the homicide occurred in late December 2025, which aligns with the last known contact with Jimenez. The Phoenix Police Department’s Homicide Unit is leading the investigation. Any further court dates were not immediately available. Officials said the case remains active as they review physical evidence, interview additional witnesses and finalize reports. The police media advisory lists the location as the 5600 block of South Seely Street in south Phoenix and notes that detectives established containment before the arrest.
Family members of the victim told local reporters that Jimenez never married and had no children. A brother said the person responsible “has no conscience,” and he supported the harshest penalty available under state law. Neighbors described a modest, single-story home with a side gate that sometimes sat ajar and a backyard shielded by a block wall. Several residents said they were surprised they had not noticed more activity until police units converged on the block the night the body was found. “We all liked David and the kid was nice too,” Brodersen said. “Apparently you can’t trust anybody.”
The investigation remains open as detectives process evidence tied to the house, the backyard and the recovered handgun. Police say the working timeline places the shooting on Dec. 29, 2025, and the discovery on Jan. 12, 2026. Authorities said they do not expect to name any other suspects. Additional updates from Phoenix police and Maricopa County prosecutors are expected as charging documents are finalized in the coming days.
Author note: Last updated January 16, 2026.