Beverly Hills Police Chief Mark Stainbrook, left, Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore announce the arrest of a suspect in three current killings of homeless males, Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Damian Dovarganes/AP
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Damian Dovarganes/AP
Beverly Hills Police Chief Mark Stainbrook, left, Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore announce the arrest of a suspect in three current killings of homeless males, Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Damian Dovarganes/AP
LOS ANGELES — A Los Angeles man already in custody in reference to one other capturing investigation has been recognized because the suspect in three current killings of homeless males, police mentioned Saturday.
Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore mentioned Jerrid Joseph Powell, 33, was recognized because the suspect within the three killings after authorities decided a firearm present in a automobile he was driving when he was arrested earlier was linked to the shootings.
Powell was arrested this week by Los Angeles sheriff’s deputies for investigation of the capturing loss of life and theft of a 42-year-old man late Tuesday after he returned to his residence locally of San Dimas about 30 miles (48 kilometers) east of downtown Los Angeles.
The announcement got here a day after Los Angeles authorities mentioned they had been looking for a suspect within the shootings of three homeless males and urged homeless people to stay awake alone for their very own security. The shootings came about on the finish of November throughout early morning hours whereas the victims had been sleeping or making ready to show in for the evening.
Jose Bolanos, 37, was discovered lifeless with a gunshot wound round 3 a.m. on Nov. 26 in an alley in South Los Angeles, police mentioned.
The next day, Mark Diggs, 62, was shot and killed whereas pushing a buying cart round 5 a.m. close to downtown, in response to officers. The third homeless capturing occurred Wednesday about 2:30 a.m. within the Lincoln Heights space, the place the physique of a 52-year-old man was discovered. Police didn’t instantly determine him pending notification of household.
Los Angeles County is the nation’s most populous, with about 10 million individuals, and was residence to multiple in 5 of the nation’s homeless individuals, in response to a 2022 federal tally. As of January, the final official depend, greater than 75,000 individuals had been homeless throughout the county on any given evening.
After the San Dimas capturing, detectives recognized Powell’s automobile by surveillance footage and tracked it to the town of Beverly Hills, the place police stopped him Wednesday and located the firearm inside, authorities mentioned.
”I’m grateful that this suspect on this case is in custody and now not a menace to this neighborhood,” Moore instructed reporters.
It was not instantly doable to determine an legal professional for Powell, who is because of seem in court docket Monday. On-line jail information present he was arrested Thursday and is being held on $2 million bail.
Moore requested the general public to come back ahead with any extra info. He mentioned authorities didn’t consider there was any connection between Powell and the victims.
He mentioned authorities labored rapidly throughout companies to determine the suspect, aided by surveillance expertise.
”Had they not had entry to these instruments, this particular person, I’m satisfied, would nonetheless be shifting in regards to the metropolis and the area, and killing people,” Moore mentioned.
The announcement got here after 5 homeless individuals had been shot in Las Vegas on Friday, one among them fatally. Police there have been looking for a lone suspect, authorities mentioned.