(NewsNation) — Four killings across Los Angeles County have been linked to one suspect who made his first court appearance Monday.
Jerrid Joseph Powell, 33, was arrested on Nov. 29 in connection with the shooting deaths of three homeless men that took place between Nov. 26 and Nov. 29, according to authorities.
Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore described a video of one of the killings as “chilling.”
Powell was also arrested in connection to a follow-home killing of a man in San Dimas. He allegedly followed 42-year-old Nicholas Simbolon home, took a few items from the garage, and fatally shot him.
Authorities identified a vehicle of interest from surveillance footage: A 2024 BMW, which was entered into a law enforcement database as a “Wanted, Armed and Dangerous” vehicle, police said.
An automatic license plate reader identified Powell’s location on Nov. 29. The Beverly Hills Police Department identified Powell’s vehicle upon conducting a traffic stop, where officers recovered a gun linked to all four shootings and arrested Powell.
“We know there’s controversy out there about the usage of this system, but let me tell our community something,” Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Chief Robert Luna said at a news conference announcing the arrest.
Luna added: “If we did not enter that plate into the system, this individual that we believe is responsible for at least four murders may have (still) been out there and reoffended.”
A motive has not yet been established and the shooter did not interact with the victims before shooting them, Moore said.
Powell was booked on murder and robbery charges on Nov. 30 and is being held on a $2 million bail.
NewsNation affiliate KTLA and The Associated Press contributed to this report.