4 Homeless People, Including Ex-NFL Player, Killed in LA

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Investigators are working to determine if four murders of homeless people in Los Angeles between October 2025 and January 2026 are connected. The victims include former NFL player Kevin Johnson, 55, who was found dead at a homeless encampment on January 21, 2026. All four victims lived in homeless encampments in the Compton Creek area of Los Angeles.

Why it matters

The string of murders targeting the homeless population in Los Angeles has raised concerns about public safety and the vulnerability of unhoused individuals. Authorities are investigating whether the killings are the work of a single suspect or if other factors like drugs or gang activity may be involved.

The details

The four murders occurred in the same general location, the 1300 block of East 120th Street in the unincorporated area of Los Angeles. The first victim was 52-year-old Michelle Steele, who was shot in the head on October 5, 2025 and died on November 12, 2025. Three weeks later, on December 4, 52-year-old Octavio Arias was killed from head and neck trauma. Former NFL player Kevin Johnson, 55, was found dead on January 21, 2026 with blunt force trauma and stab wounds. The fourth victim, Mauro Alfaro, also in his 50s, was killed on January 26 from blunt force trauma.

• The string of murders began on October 5, 2025.
• Michelle Steele was killed on October 5, 2025 and died on November 12, 2025.
• Octavio Arias was killed on December 4, 2025.
• Kevin Johnson was found dead on January 21, 2026.
• Mauro Alfaro was killed on January 26, 2026.

What’s next

Detectives are still trying to determine motives in the killings and trying to figure out if the suspect is someone who is upset with homeless people being in that area, or if drugs or gangs may be involved.