A suspect has been identified in connection over the murder of three homeless men in Los Angeles.
Cops began a manhunt for a serial killer after bodies of men shot dead in their sleep were found in alleways on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday.
Mayor Karen Bass issued a stark warning to the city’s homeless population, saying: “Our message to the unhoused community is clear – do not sleep alone tonight.”
Now the Los Angeles Police Department has announced that a suspect, Jerrid Joseph Powell, 33, was already in custody.
Powell was arrested on Thursday and accused of shooting and killing father Nicholas Simbolon in San Dimas, California, during a follow-home robbery on Tuesday.
During a news conference on Saturday night, it was stated that investigators are still trying to find a motive.
Police Chief Michel Moore said they were able to match Powell’s car to the one they indentified as being driven by the suspect responsible for the killings of the three homeless people.
This was done by using surveillance footage from the Tuesday killing.
A handgun found in that car also matched the weapon used in the three homeless killings, with Moore saying the case has a “striking set of circumstances that is puzzling.”
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said: “The next objective is to put this guy away at minimum forever because he doesn’t deserve to be out on the street.”
The victims were all asleep in open areas, happening in different places in two large areas of LA.
One of the men was killed “brutally and ruthlessly” while he was sleeping on a couch, according to Moore, while another was leaned against a wall.
The third was fatally shot as he slept on a sidewalk, the police have said.
This came after Mayor Bass gave a stark warning to homeless people on the streets of LA.
Mayor Bass said: “Our message to our unhoused community is clear try not to be alone tonight. We will do all we can to make shelter and services available.”
“To the many Angelenos who have friends or family who are unhoused, please let them know the danger that exists. We must stay safe. We will work diligently to bring those responsible to justice.”
“As we always do in the face of a challenge or crisis, our region is mobilising to respond to this issue. We will work tirelessly to find the individual responsible, arrest them, and hold them accountable.
“I have met with our partners at the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles Housing Department and we are moving immediately to get the word out to our unhoused neighbours in housing networks.”
