Death – Obituary – Accident and Crime News : LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Police Department announced on Saturday that a suspect has been identified in connection with the recent killings of three homeless men in the city. Jerrid Joseph Powell, a 33-year-old Los Angeles resident, was identified as the suspect after a firearm found in a vehicle he was driving was linked to the shootings.
Powell had already been taken into custody earlier this week by Los Angeles sheriff’s deputies for investigation of the shooting death and robbery of a 42-year-old man in San Dimas, a community located about 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.
The announcement came following a plea from Los Angeles authorities urging homeless individuals to take precautions and avoid sleeping alone for their own safety. The three shootings occurred at the end of November during the early morning hours while the victims were either sleeping or preparing to sleep.
The victims of the shootings have been identified as Jose Bolanos, 37, Mark Diggs, 62, and an unidentified 52-year-old man found in the Lincoln Heights area. 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 country’s homeless population, according to a federal tally from 2022. As of the last official count in January, there were over 75,000 homeless individuals in the county on any given night.
After the shooting in San Dimas, detectives were able to identify Powell’s vehicle through surveillance footage and tracked it to Beverly Hills. It was during a traffic stop in Beverly Hills that police found the firearm linking Powell to the three killings.
Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore expressed gratitude that the suspect was in custody and assured the public that there was no connection between Powell and the victims. Moore also asked the public to provide any additional information they may have regarding the case.
Powell is due to appear in court on Monday and is currently being held on $2 million bail. It is unclear at this time whether he has legal representation.
Authorities attributed the swift identification and apprehension of the suspect to the collaboration and utilization of surveillance technology across various agencies. Moore emphasized the importance of these tools in preventing further harm to the community.
In a separate incident, five homeless individuals were shot in Las Vegas on Friday, one of whom died. Police in Las Vegas are currently searching for a lone suspect in connection with that incident.