Suspected serial killer arrested for murdering 3 sleeping homeless men in Los Angeles during four-day killing spree: cops

A suspected serial killer believed to be responsible for slaughtering three homeless people on the streets of Los Angeles was identified Saturday — after investigators realized he was already in custody for a separate, fourth murder.

Convicted felon Jerrid Joseph Powell, 33, allegedly shot the three vulnerable men as they slept as well as a fourth man — who was not homeless — in a botched burglary during a violent four-day killing spree, police said.

Powell was arrested Wednesday for the burglary gone wrong and on Saturday, investigators connected him to the murders of the homeless individuals.

The news comes just one day after city officials announced an urgent plea for unhoused people to be on high alert for a killer “preying on the unhoused.”

“Twenty-four hours ago we announced there was a killer on the loose. Now he is in custody,” Mayor Karen Bass said at a press briefing.

Powell had been in custody since his arrest Wednesday.

Officials did not elaborate on his criminal history but noted he is a convicted felon with a background that includes violent crime.

“Based on his criminal history, he didn’t just start doing this a week ago,” LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said.

The accused murderer began the deranged spree by allegedly killing 37-year-old Jose Bolanos on Sunday at 3 a.m. as the victim slept — a savage crime he is accused of replicating just 24 hours later, fatally shooting Mark Diggs, 62, behind a building, police said.

The third unidentified victim was killed around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, just hours before Powell was taken into custody.

He was picked up in connection to a Tuesday night follow-home robbery that left a 42-year-old father of two dead.

Powell allegedly tailed Nicholas Simbolon 12 miles from an electric vehicle charging station to his home in San Dimas before allegedly shooting and robbing him as he got out of his car, according to the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Office.

The suspected serial killer was linked to the various murders by his car, which was spotted at the scene of every homicide Powell is accused of committing, police said.

Investigators used an automatic license plate reader system to track Powell down and he was taken into custody following a traffic stop in Beverly Hills.

A handgun was found inside the vehicle, which was “positively identified” as the murder weapon used in all four murders, police said.

“Had they not had those access to those tools, this individual I am convinced, would still be moving about the city, in the region, and killing individuals, innocent individuals, helpless individuals,” said LA police Chief Michael Moore

It is not clear what motive Powell had for the rampage, but Moore said the homeless men, who were all asleep when they were targeted, were killed “without provocation.”

In a release, police described the burglary as “senseless.”

The indiscriminate killings pushed city officials to create a task force and to open emergency shelters typically relegated to harsh weather to get as many homeless people off the street as possible.

Personnel also flooded the streets to encourage homeless people to seek shelter or to at the minimum stay in groups until the assailant is apprehended.

Authorities are investigating whether Powell may be linked to other cases.

Powell is being held on a $2.1 million bail.