Isaiah Jewett and Alexandra Guzman met as teenagers at a placement facility in Montgomery County. Isaiah set himself apart from the other boys who tried to catch her attention—he was quiet and respectful.
“One day, he asked if I wanted to play Uno, and the rest is history,” Alexandra said.
They spent as much time together as possible, eating meals, talking about their interests—Isaiah was into old school hip hop—and getting to know each other.
Alexandra didn’t think their relationship would continue after they both were discharged, but it did. They met up in Frankford and became inseparable.
Over the next few years, Isaiah and Alexandra had two sons together and became engaged. In December of last year, they went ring shopping at the Fashion District so Alexandra could show him the ones she liked.
Three weeks later, on the afternoon of Dec. 30, 2021, Isaiah was fatally shot in the 400 block of East Tusculum Street in Kensington. Police have not made any arrests.
“He was a gentleman, the ultimate gentleman,” Alexandra said. “He was a blessing, he was my blessing.”
Isaiah was born Nov. 20, 1999 in Philadelphia to Cecilia Sullivan and Daniel Jewett. He excelled at sports, including boxing, swimming, baseball, lacrosse and basketball. When he and Alexandra met, he had two sons from a prior relationship.
After leaving placement, Isaiah enrolled at Hiram G. Andrews Technical Center in Johnstown, Pa. to learn carpentry, and their relationship became long-distance for a year.
Isaiah lived with Alexandra and her family after graduating, and their first son, Isaiah Jr., was born in January 2020. It was difficult for Isaiah to find a job because of COVID, but pandemic assistance funding allowed them to buy a car and rent a home. Things were falling into place.
“I loved seeing him in daddy mode,” Alexandra said. “It was a beautiful thing to see an active father who is so young, and I had to have another one.”
Their second child, Isaiah’s fourth son, was born in August 2021. They named him Saleem.
Isaiah did carpentry work for his landlord and was the best father he could be.
Alexandra and Isaiah enjoyed movies and podcasts, and they loved getting outside and walking around the neighborhood. They talked about their future—Isaiah always said he wanted to open a corner store someday. He finished the basement of their home, and their next project was working on the backyard.
The couple planned to have family over on New Year’s Eve for a spades tournament. Isaiah and Alexandra were partners whenever they played the game, and they usually won.
“The chemistry we had, so many people thought that we would cheat, but no, we never cheated,” Alexandra said. “Our chemistry was unmatched.”
A reward of up to $20,000 if available to anyone that comes forward with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Isaiah’s murder. Anonymous calls can be submitted by calling the Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS.
Resources are available for people and communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Click here for more information.
