Los Angeles police have identified a man already in custody in connection with another shooting investigation as the suspect in three recent killings of homeless men. Jerrid Joseph Powell, 33, was linked to the shootings after a firearm found in a vehicle he was driving was connected to the crimes. Powell was arrested for investigation of the shooting death and robbery of a 42-year-old man. The announcement came after Los Angeles authorities said they were searching for a suspect in the shootings of three homeless men. Los Angeles County has a large homeless population, with more than 75,000 people homeless on any given night. Associated Press reported
A Los Angeles man, who was already in custody for another shooting investigation, has been identified as the suspect in three recent killings of homeless men, according to the Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore. The suspect, Jerrid Joseph Powell, 33, was linked to the killings after a firearm found in a vehicle he was driving during his arrest was connected to the shootings. Powell was arrested earlier this week by Los Angeles sheriff’s deputies for investigation of the shooting death and robbery of a 42-year-old man in the community of San Dimas.
The announcement of Powell being the suspect came after authorities in Los Angeles revealed that they were searching for a suspect in the shootings of three homeless men. The police urged homeless individuals to not sleep alone for their own safety. The shootings occurred in late November during the early morning hours while the victims were sleeping or preparing to sleep.
The first victim, Jose Bolanos, 37, was found dead with a gunshot wound in an alley in South Los Angeles around 3 am on November 26. The following day, Mark Diggs, 62, was shot and killed while pushing a shopping cart near downtown at around 5 am. The third homeless shooting occurred in the Lincoln Heights area, where the body of a 52-year-old man was found at approximately 2:30 am on Thursday. The police have not yet identified the third victim pending notification of family.
Los Angeles County has the highest population in the nation, with approximately 10 million people, and is home to more than one in five of the nation’s homeless population, according to a 2022 federal tally. The county had over 75,000 homeless individuals on any given night as of January, according to the latest official count.
After the San Dimas shooting, detectives were able to identify Powell’s vehicle through surveillance footage and tracked it to Beverly Hills. The police stopped him there on Thursday and discovered the firearm inside the vehicle. Chief Moore expressed gratitude that the suspect is now in custody and no longer a threat to the community.
Powell is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday, and it is currently unclear whether he has an attorney. Online jail records indicate that he was arrested on Friday and is being held on bail of US$2 million (NZ$3.2 million).
Chief Moore urged the public to provide any additional information they might have. He also stated that authorities do not believe there is any connection between Powell and the victims. The police worked quickly across different agencies to identify the suspect, with the help of surveillance technology.
The announcement of Powell being the suspect in the homeless killings came shortly after five homeless people were shot in Las Vegas, with one fatality. Authorities in Las Vegas are currently searching for a lone suspect in that case as well..