Suspect ID'd, Arrested In Serial Killings Of LA Homeless, Police Say

LOS ANGELES, CA — Police have arrested 33-year-old Jerrid Joseph Powell in connection with the killings of three homeless people in Los Angeles this week, according to a news release shared on social media.

Police said Saturday that they arrested and detained Powell in Beverly Hills overnight Thursday after a traffic stop on a 2024 Gray BMW with a California plate — a car that was wanted in connection with a robbery-murder that occurred in San Dimas.

Authorities recovered a gun from the car, which detectives believe was used in the robbery-murder as well as this week's murders of three people experiencing homelessness.

In information released Friday, police said a serial killer was preying on people sleeping on the streets of Los Angeles, killing three men this week.

The slayings began Sunday and continued through Wednesday, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore said at a Friday afternoon press conference with the mayor and district attorney.

Detectives said they believed the same man was hunting people who were homeless and shooting them out in the open as they slept, according to Moore. Los Angeles city leaders urged people living on the streets to seek shelter due to the threat.

“The commonality in these cases is that each of the victims was in an open area, whether a sidewalk or an alley, and they were alone,” Moore said. “And from other information we’ve gathered at this point. We believe a single individual approached each one and shot and killed each one as they slept.”

The shootings occurred in the early morning hours Sunday, Monday and Wednesday, officials said.

According to Moore, the killer struck first around 3 a.m. Sunday in the 800 block of West 110th Street. About 26 hours later, he struck again around 5 a.m. in the 800 block of East Seventh Street.

His last shooting happened at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at South Avenue 18 and South Pasadena Avenue.

According to authorities, the first victim was 37-year-old Jose Bolanos, followed by 62-year-old Mark Diggs. The latest victim was a 52-year-old man. His name was withheld pending notification of his next of kin, Moore said.

Anyone with information about the case should contact police at 213-486- 6890.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.