Man Charged with Four Counts of Murder in Los Angeles Homeless Shootings
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jerrid Joseph Powell, 33, was charged on Monday with four counts of murder in the fatal shootings of three homeless men in Los Angeles and a suburban resident last month. Powell was also charged with one count of residential robbery and one count of being a felon with a firearm. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office stated that Powell faces special circumstances of committing multiple murders, murder in the course of a robbery, as well as personal use of a firearm allegations.
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Appearing in court on Monday afternoon with his attorney, Deputy Public Defender Carlos Bido, Powell did not enter a plea. His arraignment was continued to January 8.
Powell was initially arrested as a suspect in a deadly shooting during a robbery at a home in San Dimas, east of Los Angeles. Further investigations linked Powell to the killings of the three homeless men when a firearm found in his car was matched to the shootings.
The motive for the homeless victims’ killings remains unknown. Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore stated during a press conference that the police were unaware of the motive at this time.
The victims have been identified as Jose Bolanos, 37, Mark Diggs, 62, and an unidentified 52-year-old man. Additionally, Nicholas Simbolon, 42, was shot dead at his home in San Dimas. Powell’s arrest came after a traffic stop in Beverly Hills, prompted by surveillance images of a suspect vehicle.
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District Attorney George Gascón expressed his appreciation for the work of law enforcement in bringing justice to the community and arresting Powell. If convicted on all charges, Powell faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Los Angeles County, with a population of approximately 10 million, is home to over one-fifth of the nation’s homeless people. According to a 2022 federal tally, more than 75,000 people were homeless across the county on any given night.
Advocates for homeless people emphasize that those living on the streets are more likely to be the victims of violence rather than the perpetrators. In a separate incident, five homeless people in Las Vegas were shot on Friday, one of them fatally, but authorities have ruled out any correlation with the Los Angeles shootings.
In Orange County, California, a man was charged with killing four homeless men in a series of stabbings from late 2011 to early 2012. Itzcoatl Ocampo, a former Marine, died awaiting trial after reportedly consuming cleanser while in custody.
(Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
