Stone-faced firefighter accused of axing his wife to death appears in court

The Glendale firefighter accused of brutally killing his wife with an ax appeared stone-faced in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom Wednesday, saying nothing as a judge set the next major step in his murder case.

Andrew Jimenez, 45, was escorted into the courtroom at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center wearing jail-issued clothing and restraints on both his hands and legs. Throughout the hearing, Jimenez remained silent, staring straight ahead with a solemn expression.

Rather than sitting alongside his legal team, the judge directed Jimenez to a wooden chair against the courtroom wall. Several defense attorneys represented him during the proceeding, while prosecutors stood at a separate table.

The hearing lasted only about three minutes. Prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed to schedule a preliminary hearing for Oct. 21, 2026, where witnesses are expected to testify and evidence in the case will begin to be presented.

As deputy sheriffs escorted Jimenez from the courtroom, one of his attorneys briefly spoke with him. He showed little outward emotion during the appearance, appearing neither tearful nor visibly remorseful.

Jimenez has previously pleaded not guilty to one count of murder.

The case stems from the Jan. 21 killing of his wife, 46-year-old Mayra Jimenez, a schoolteacher who was found dead inside the couple’s North Hollywood home after suffering fatal blunt-force injuries. Prosecutors allege Andrew Jimenez attacked her with an ax during the deadly confrontation.

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Authorities arrested Jimenez the same day after he allegedly approached Los Angeles police officers and asked them to conduct a welfare check at the home. When officers arrived, they discovered his wife’s body, and Jimenez was taken into custody.

During an earlier stage of the case, a former attorney for Jimenez previously revealed to The Post his client had discovered writings in his wife’s diary indicating she had been unfaithful shortly before the killing. That attorney later withdrew from representing him. Those claims have not been proven in court, and prosecutors have not identified a motive as part of the criminal charges.

Jimenez, who joined the Glendale Fire Department as a paramedic in 2008 before being promoted to firefighter in 2024, remains in custody without bail.

If convicted of murder, he faces a potential sentence of 26 years to life in state prison.