Suspected Serial Killer Jerrid Powell Got $700,000 Settlement From City Before Being Arrested For Murders Of 3 Homeless Men

On Saturday, the Los Angeles Police Department arrested Jerrid Powell in the murder of three homeless men in the last week of November.

On Tuesday, it was revealed that Powell had received a $700,000 settlement from the city of Santa Monica for an incident where the beach patrol ran over him.

Powell is accused of hunting homeless people and shooting them out in the open while they slept.

Beverly Hills police arrested Powell on the night of November 29 after his car was linked to the murder of Nicholas Simbolon. He allegedly robbed Simbolon at his home and shot him in what authorities have labeled a “follow-home robbery.”

Robert Luna, the Los Angeles County Sherriff, stated that a 2024 BMW owned by the murder suspect was found at the scene of Simbolon’s murder. Beverly Hills police discovered the car and, after a traffic stop, arrested him.

Investigators connected the car to the killings. A handgun retrieved during the arrest was connected to all four shootings.

Michel Moore, the chief of this police department, confirmed during a press conference on Friday with the mayor and district attorney that these killings started on November 26 and proceeded until November 29.

The Los Angeles police chief stated on December 2 that investigators did not conclusively connect the suspect to the killings until sometime in the previous 16 hours.

No motive has been made clear. However, Moore said that the gunman had been attacking homeless people who were separated from groups and that the victims were not robbed.

Powell also apparently did not know Simbolon or the victims.

The chief noticed that the suspect had a long criminal history due to his felony convictions. He even stated that the police are looking for more victims.

Moore said investigators would try to piece together Powell’s movements to see if he committed any other murders yet to be determined.

City leaders in Los Angeles advised homeless people in the city to find shelter due to the fear that they may be targeted next.

A police task force was created to catch the perpetrator.

“The commonality in these cases is that each of the victims were in an open area, whether a sidewalk or an alley, and they were alone,” the police chief stated. “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.”

Officials said that the shootings occurred on the mornings of November 26, November 27 and November 29.

“Investigators have gathered physical evidence as well as video evidence — images and we’ve identified this possible male lone individual as well as a vehicle in each of the three cases,” Moore said.

He confirmed that the killer shot his first victim, Jose Bolanos, 37, at 3:00 a.m. and the second victim, Mark Diggs, 62, was killed 26 hours later at 5:00 a.m.

Moore stated that the third victim is a 52-year-old man whose name has been nondisclosed pending the news of a next of kin.

Karen Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles, gave this warning to her citizens.

“I want to be very clear about what we’re facing today: This is a killer who is preying on the unhoused,” she stated.

“This news is devastating to our city. Living on the streets we already know is dangerous,” she continued. “We already know that four to five people die each day on our streets from a range of causes, and violence is certainly one of them… Our message to the unhoused community is clear — do not sleep alone tonight. Seek shelter. Seek services. Stay together.”

According to Moore, the footage of one murder shows the suspect acting practically nonchalant as he commits this crime.

“It was chilling and I’ve been in this work for four-plus decades,” Moore stated. “The cold-blooded manner in which he walks up and shoots this individual without any hesitation, no interactions.”