LOS ANGELES, CA – The arraignment for a felon charged in the shooting deaths of three homeless men in Los Angeles, along with the follow-home robbery and slaying of an L.A. County employee in San Dimas, was postponed Monday. Jerrid Joseph Powell, 33, of Los Angeles, is facing four counts of murder and one count each of residential robbery and carrying a concealed firearm.
Powell is accused of fatally shooting three homeless men and L.A. County employee Nicholas Simbolon in a tragic four-day period in late November. The murder charges include special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and murder during the commission of a robbery. If convicted, Powell could face life in prison without the possibility of parole.
At his scheduled arraignment, Powell refused to come out of his cell, leading to the postponement of the hearing. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Kimberley Baker Guillemet rescheduled the arraignment for Thursday.
Authorities announced that they had linked Powell to the fatal shootings of three homeless men following his arrest in connection with the killing of Simbolon, a project manager in the Los Angeles County executive office. A handgun recovered from Powell’s vehicle was identified as the murder weapon in the homeless killings, according to LAPD Chief Michel Moore.
The first homeless killing occurred near Watts, followed by another near downtown and another near Lincoln Heights. Each victim was approached and shot while sleeping, and investigators believe Powell acted alone in the killings.
In addition to the homeless killings, Powell is accused of the follow-home robbery and slaying of Simbolon in San Dimas. Surveillance video showed that Simbolon was followed home and then fatally shot in his garage.
Powell’s felony history, including a 2015 conviction for assault, has raised concerns that he may have committed other crimes. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has urged unhoused people to avoid sleeping alone outdoors and to seek company or shelter due to the fear instilled by the recent killings.
If convicted, Powell could face life in prison without the possibility of parole. The arraignment has been rescheduled for Thursday, with Powell remaining jailed without bail.