Colleagues of a cherished Los Angeles teacher, who was tragically beaten to death, were visibly emotional in court on Thursday. The teacher’s husband, a firefighter accused of the murder, appeared in court donned in a suicide prevention vest.
Andrew Jimenez, a firefighter by profession, stood behind a plexiglass barrier wearing a blue vest with no shirt underneath, revealing his physique. He was escorted in and out of the courtroom by a deputy from the sheriff’s department.
Shackled and standing before Judge McGonigle in a downtown Los Angeles courthouse, Jimenez appeared somber, maintaining a forward gaze as his public defender, Mark Carrillo, requested that he not be photographed.
The judge agreed to this request, ensuring his privacy was maintained in the courtroom.
During the proceedings, Jimenez spoke only to confirm his agreement with the postponement of his arraignment to April, simply replying, “Yes, your honor,” to the judge’s inquiry.
The only words Jimenez uttered were “Yes your honor” when asked if he agreed to having his arraignment moved to April, as requested by Carrillo.
Jimenez was charged with the domestic violence murder of his wife, Mayra Jimenez after she was found battered to death in the couple’s home on Jan. 21.
Jimenez started with the Glendale Fire Department on April 28, 2008, as a paramedic and eventually became a firefighter.
His wife was a beloved 1st- and 3rd-grade teacher with LAUSD at Wilshire Elementary School in Koreatown and a non-denominational ordained minister.
Five of Mayra’s fellow school teachers watched the proceedings, one woman teared up at the sight of Jimenez. Deputy District Attorneys Kelsey McKeever-Unger and Chelsea Blatt were seen comforting them in the gallery.
Home videos obtained by The Post showed what appeared to a loving marriage between Andrew and Mayra.
Affectionate footage from their wedding showed the pair smooching while wearing firefighter hats.
But behind the scenes Jimenez had apparently learned Mayra was allegedly cheating on him “moments” before the gruesome slaying, according to the suspect’s previous lawyer.
Jimenez read a diary “that verified infidelity by the decent,” attorney Jose Romero had said.
Jimenez is due back in court on April 15. If convicted as charged, he faces 26 years to life in state prison.
