What did Jerrid Powell do? Officials identify alleged LA serial killer accused of killing three homeless men

33-year-old Jerrid Powell was recently identified as the suspect involved in the brutal murders of three homeless men in Los Angeles. It was then that authorities realized that Powell was already in custody in connection to a separate murder of a San Dimas resident. The individual was reportedly killed in his house by Powell during a robbery

Authorities further identified him as Nicholas Simbolon, as per CBS News. Police discovered a handgun in Powell's vehicle when they investigated the case. They later found that the same weapon and car were used in the other cases as well.

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Jerrid Powell allegedly killed three homeless people and was formally arrested for the same

Over 700 city officials as well as social service organizations were involved in spreading awareness amongst the homeless population after the news about the alleged serial killer came to light. While officials were investigating the three homeless men's murders, they realized that the person they were looking for was already in custody and he was identified as 33-year-old Jerrid Powell.

LA officials stated that he was arrested in a separate case for allegedly killing a man named Nicholas Simbolon on Tuesday, November 28, 2023.

The first murder reportedly took place on Sunday, November 26, at about 3 am local time on the 800 block of West 110th Street. Los Angeles Police Chief Michael Moore revealed that the first victim was 37-year-old Jose Bolanos, as per NBC News.

The second alleged incident took place on Monday, November 27, at about 5 am local time on the 800 block of East Seventh Street. The second victim was identified as 62-year-old Mark Diggs. The other alleged murder reportedly occurred on Wednesday, November 29, at 2:30 pm local time, at South Avenue 18 and South Pasadena Avenue, when a 52-year-old unidentified man was killed.

On the same day, the police then arrested Powell for the murder of Nicholas Simbolon, which reportedly took place on Tuesday.

LA County Sheriff Robert Luna further confirmed the same and spoke about Jerrid Powell as he told ABC News:

"Based on his criminal history, he didn't just start doing this a week ago."

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Powell had reportedly already been charged with Nicholas' murder when he was identified as the suspected serial killer

Nicholas Simbolon was first discovered by a family member who immediately called the police. Paramedics soon arrived at the location and declared him dead on the scene. Cops later identified a vehicle in a surveillance clip, that allegedly belonged to the suspect, Jerrid Powell. Eventually, on Wednesday, November 29, Powell was arrested during a traffic stop.

After officers at Beverly Hills Police Department took Powell into custody, they looked into his car and recovered his handgun, which he allegedly used to shoot Nicholas. He was then eventually arrested in connection in connection to the murder.

Cops also shed light on the possible chain of events that took place on that day Simbolon died. The suspect reportedly followed him for about 10 miles from an electric car charging station to the victim's residence in San Dimas. After reaching the location, Jerrid Powell allegedly shot Nicholas when he got out of his car and then robbed him.

While Jerrid Powell was in custody, police were still looking for the suspect allegedly involved in the killing of the three homeless people.

ABC News reported that Police Chief Michael Moore spoke about the brutal murders, and said:

"Each of the victims were in an open area whether it be a sidewalk or an alley. They were alone."

Moore added:

"I am grateful that this suspect in this case is in custody and will be held accountable for his actions."

LA County District Attorney George Gascón praised the officers and police departments involved in the case for apprehending the suspect. He stated that the actions taken by law enforcement officials "undoubtedly saved lives."

Moore described the incident to be cold-blooded. He added that it is "chilling" that Jerrid Powell allegedly committed the crimes without much hesitation. After the formal arrest in connection to the alleged murders of the three people, Powell was booked into the Los Angeles County Jail on a bond of $2.1 million, as per People.