Los Angeles Man Charged with Four Counts of Murder in Fatal Shootings of Three Unhoused Men and Suburban Resident

Accident – Death – Obituary News : Man Charged with Four Counts of Murder in Fatal Shootings of Homeless Men and Suburban Resident

Prosecutors in Los Angeles have filed charges against a man in connection with the fatal shootings of three homeless men and a suburban resident last month. Jerrid Joseph Powell, a 33-year-old Los Angeles resident, has been charged with four counts of murder, 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 also faces special circumstances of committing multiple murders, murder in the course of a robbery, as well as personal use of a firearm allegations. Powell appeared in court on Monday with his attorney Carlos Bido, but did not enter a plea. His arraignment has been scheduled for 8 January.

The public defender’s office released a statement saying, “As with each client, our office will pursue a vigorous defense on behalf of Mr Powell and hold the prosecution to its burden of proof. According to the tenets of our criminal legal system, Mr Powell remains presumed innocent until proven otherwise.”

Powell was initially arrested last week as a suspect in a deadly shooting during a robbery in the community of San Dimas, east of Los Angeles. Authorities later linked a firearm found in Powell’s car to the killings of the three homeless men, leading to his identification as a suspect.

During a press conference over the weekend, Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore stated that the motive for the killings of the unhoused victims was not known. The victims have been identified as Jose Bolanos, 37, Mark Diggs, 62, and a 52-year-old man whose identity has not been released pending family notification.

In addition to the shootings of the homeless men, Powell has also been charged with the fatal shooting of Nicholas Simbolon, 42, at his home in San Dimas on 28 November. Surveillance images of a suspect vehicle helped authorities locate Powell, and he was subsequently arrested during a traffic stop in Beverly Hills.

George Gascón, the district attorney, expressed his gratitude to law enforcement for their efforts in apprehending Powell, stating, “The swift actions of law enforcement undoubtedly saved lives this week.” If convicted on all charges, Powell could face life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Los Angeles county, with a population of approximately 10 million people, is home to a significant number of unhoused individuals in the United States. According to a 2022 federal tally, the county accounted for more than one in five of the nation’s unhoused population. As of January, over 75,000 people were unhoused in the county on any given night.

Advocates for the unhoused community emphasize that individuals living on the streets are more likely to be victims of violence rather than perpetrators. This sentiment is echoed by the recent shooting in Las Vegas, where five unhoused individuals were shot, one of whom died. Meanwhile, in Orange County, California, a man was charged with killing four unhoused men in a series of stabbings between late 2011 and early 2012.

The suspect, Itzcoatl Ocampo, a former Marine, faced charges of four counts of murder with special allegations of multiple murders, lying in wait, and use of a deadly weapon. Ocampo died while awaiting trial after reportedly consuming cleanser he had collected while in custody..