Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore announced that Jerrid Joseph Powell, a Los Angeles man already in custody for another shooting investigation, has been identified as the suspect in three recent killings of homeless men. Authorities linked a firearm found in Powell’s vehicle to the shootings. Powell was arrested earlier this week by Los Angeles sheriff’s deputies for the shooting death and robbery of a 42-year-old man. The announcement came after Los Angeles authorities urged homeless individuals to not sleep alone for their safety. NTD reported
During a press conference held on December 2, 2023, Beverly Hills Police Chief Mark Stainbrook, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore made a significant announcement regarding the arrest of a suspect in the recent killings of three homeless men in Los Angeles. The suspect, identified as Jerrid Joseph Powell, a 33-year-old Los Angeles man, was already in custody in connection with another shooting investigation. Chief Moore revealed that Powell was linked to the three killings after a firearm found in a vehicle he was driving during his arrest was determined to be connected to the shootings.
The arrest of Powell occurred earlier in the week when he was apprehended by Los Angeles sheriff’s deputies for the investigation of the shooting death and robbery of a 42-year-old man in San Dimas, a community located approximately 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. This arrest prompted the authorities to identify Powell as the suspect in the killings of the three homeless men.
The announcement came just a day after the Los Angeles authorities declared their search for a suspect in the shootings and advised homeless individuals to avoid sleeping alone for their own safety. The three shootings took place in late November during the early morning hours while the victims were either sleeping or preparing to settle down for the night. The victims were identified as Jose Bolanos, 37, who was found dead with a gunshot wound in an alley in South Los Angeles on November 26; Mark Diggs, 62, who was shot and killed while pushing a shopping cart near downtown on the following day; and an unidentified 52-year-old man whose body was discovered in the Lincoln Heights area on Wednesday.
Los Angeles County, with a population of approximately 10 million people, has the highest population in the nation and is also home to more than one in five of the nation’s homeless individuals, according to a federal tally conducted in 2022. As of January, the last official count, over 75,000 people were homeless across the county on any given night.
Following the San Dimas shooting, detectives were able to identify Powell’s vehicle through surveillance footage and tracked it to Beverly Hills. On Wednesday, Beverly Hills police stopped Powell and discovered the firearm inside the vehicle. Chief Moore expressed his gratitude that Powell was in custody, stating that he was no longer a threat to the community.
Mr. Powell is scheduled to appear in court on Monday, but it is currently unknown whether he has legal representation. Online jail records indicate that he was arrested on Thursday and is being held on a $2 million bail. Chief Moore urged the public to provide any additional information they might have, although authorities do not believe there is a connection between Powell and the victims.
Chief Moore also highlighted the swift collaboration between law enforcement agencies in identifying the suspect, emphasizing the crucial role played by surveillance technology. He stated that without access to these tools, Powell would likely still be at large, continuing to pose a threat to the city and its residents.
Furthermore, the announcement comes shortly after five homeless individuals were shot in Las Vegas the previous day, with one of them succumbing to their injuries. Las Vegas police are currently searching for a lone suspect in connection with that incident..