LOS ANGELES, CA – A felon arrested in connection with the shooting deaths of three homeless men in Los Angeles and a separate robbery and slaying of an L.A. County employee in San Dimas, had his arraignment postponed on Monday. Jerrid Joseph Powell, 33, of Los Angeles, is facing four counts of murder and one count each of residential robbery and a felon carrying a concealed firearm. If convicted, Powell could face life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore and Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna announced their linkage of Powell to the fatal shootings. They stated that a handgun recovered from Powell’s vehicle was used in the three homeless killings. Powell was also linked to the Nov. 28 killing of county employee Nicholas Simbolon. The first homeless killing occurred around 3 a.m. Nov. 26 in the Westmont area near Watts, followed by another at about 5 a.m. Nov. 27 near downtown, and another at 2:30 a.m. Nov. 29 near Lincoln Heights. Simbolon, 42, was found by his wife inside his Tesla in the garage of his San Dimas home on Nov. 28.
Authorities expressed concern about Powell’s previous criminal history and urged anyone with relevant information to come forward. The homeless population in the city was advised to avoid sleeping alone outdoors and to seek shelter due to the fear instilled by these incidents.
Powell is currently jailed without bail and has refused to come out of his cell for the arraignment. A Los Angeles Superior Court Judge rescheduled the hearing for Thursday. The Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón praised the swift actions of law enforcement for saving lives. The suspect is believed to have no known connection among the four killings and no known relationship between Powell and Simbolon. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office noticed a trend of recent cases and pointed out the vulnerability of the unhoused population to such crimes. Simbolon is survived by his mother, wife, and two sons, in the wake of this tragic incident.