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The stabbing death of former NFL defensive lineman Kevin Johnson may be linked to a series of homicides, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) said Tuesday.
The LASD Homicide Bureau is investigating a series of homicide cases that occurred between October 2025 and January 2026 in the same neighborhood, the 1300 block of East 120th Street. During that time, four homicides have occurred in the area, all of which are under active investigation by the homicide bureau, according to the LASD. One of the cases was the stabbing death of Johnson, who played for the team Philadelphia Eagles and the Oakland Raiders in the 1990s.
Johnson’s body was discovered in a homeless encampment on January 21. His cause of death was blunt force head trauma and stab wounds, records show.
Former NFL defensive lineman stabbed to death in Los Angeles, records show
Defensive lineman Kevin Johnson of the Philadelphia Eagles moves down the field during a game against the Washington Redskins at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC on November 26, 1995. (Otto Greule Jr./Allsport)
“All four victims were unhoused individuals who lived in encampments near the 1300 block of East 120th Street,” the LASD said.
The LASD added that investigators from its homicide bureau work with personnel from the Century Sheriff’s Station and the Operation Safe Streets Bureau in their homicide investigations.
A homeless encampment at Willowbrook on Sunday, January 25, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. (Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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The string of killings in the Compton Creek area began on October 5, 2025, when a woman, identified as Michelle Steele, 52, was shot in the head, according to KABC-TV, which cited sources close to the investigation. She later died at the hospital on November 12, 2025. Then, on December 4, 2025, Octavio Arias, 52, was killed in the same area, KABC-TV reported, adding that Arias died from head and neck trauma. Johnson was the third victim.
The LASD said the fourth victim was found on January 26. KABC-TV reported identifying that victim as Mauro Alfaro, adding that sources said the cause of death was blunt force trauma.
A memorial for former NFL and Westchester High lineman Kevin Johnson sits near a homeless encampment in Willowbrook on Sunday, January 25, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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Homicide investigations continue and the LASD encouraged anyone with information about the incidents to contact its homicide office.
