Warning: This story contains discussion of homicide and violence that may be disturbing to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is investigating whether four homicide cases, including the recent stabbing death of NFL veteran and former Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman Kevin Johnson, are linked.
According to the LASD, four homicides took place in the 1300 block of East 120th Street between October 2025 and January 2026. The department said all four victims were “unhoused individuals” living in encampments in the area.
Not all of the deaths were stabbings. According to KABC in Los Angeles, the first victim, Michelle Steele, was shot in the head on Oct. 5. Steele later died on Nov. 12. Two months later, Octavio Arias died of head and neck trauma in the same area on Dec. 4. A fourth victim, Mauro Alfaro, was found dead from blunt force trauma on Jan. 26.
Former Philadelphia Eagles player Kevin Johnson was found dead near a homeless encampment in Los Angeles County.
He was discovered in Willowbrook on Wednesday morning with blunt head trauma and stab wounds near the 1300 block of East 120th Street, near Central Avenue 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/Xq8FOrsziP
— Los Angeles Journalist 📸 (@slausongirlnews) January 23, 2026
Police discovered Johnson’s body on Jan. 21.
Outside of all four living in encampments, it remains unclear whether they had anything else in common. Steele and Arias were both 52. Johnson was 55, while Alfaro was also in his 50s. It is also unknown whether any of the four knew one another.
The LASD said eight detectives are working the case, though they have struggled to obtain information from the local homeless population. County workers are also attempting to help unhoused residents find safer housing.
The New England Patriots selected Johnson, who played at Texas Southern, with a fourth-round pick in 1993. He did not make his regular-season debut until 1995, shortly after the Eagles claimed him off waivers. Johnson recorded 54 tackles and seven sacks over three NFL seasons with the Eagles (1995–96) and Raiders (1997). Six of those sacks came in 1995, when he also returned a fumble 37 yards for an Eagles team that went 10–6 and reached the NFC Divisional Round.
Sad story below about former Eagles DT Kevin Johnson. He played two seasons in Philly (1995–96) and had his best year in ’95, recording 6 sacks and a fumble return TD.
Here’s that TD vs the Rams: https://t.co/1vKjNNk1ZK pic.twitter.com/wEdjjr3HuM
— Fly Eagles Fly Bets (@Fly_EaglesBets) January 23, 2026
Johnson later played in the Arena Football League with the Orlando Predators (1998–99) and Los Angeles Avengers (2000–01).
Johnson’s son, Branden, called his father’s death a “heartbreaking tragedy” in a recent statement. He said his father called him daily, asking about his granddaughter and reminding him “how much he loved me and how proud he was.”
“He had a rare gift for making people feel seen, welcomed, and appreciated, never judging and always looking out for others,” Branden Johnson said. “Even through life’s difficulties, he held happiness in his heart and shared it freely with those he loved. My dad was selfless, loyal, and deeply cherished. His absence leaves a huge void, but his love, laughter, and spirit will live on through everyone whose life he touched.”
