Detectives investigating the serial murders of three homeless men in Los Angeles are now examining unsolved murders in areas outside of Southern California, in case there is evidence that the man charged with the LA killings could be responsible, Los Angeles' police chief said Tuesday.
"The department is also working across the United States, working with our federal partners, the Joint Regional Intelligence Center, to identify this gunman's actions," said Chief Michel Moore.
Thirty-three-year-old Jerrid Joseph Powell was charged Monday with killing the men as they slept or walked on the street, and with the follow-home robbery and murder of an LA County employee, who was found shot to death inside his garage in San Dimas.
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Moore said the devastating amount of violence allegedly committed by Powell during such a short period of time raised questions about whether or not the four shootings between Nov. 26 and 29 were the only attacks.
"We're unclear whether or not he has any prior violence that may have been unsolved or undetected to this point," Moore said.
Powell was arrested last week after the license plate on his BMW, identified in the San Dimas murder of Nicholas Simbolon, 42, was detected by the automated license plate scanning system operated by the Beverly Hills Police Department.
Moore said a handgun linked to the 4 shootings was found with Powell.
On Monday the LA County District Attorney's Office charged Powell with Simbolon's robbery and murder, and the murders of the three homeless men, Jose M. Bolanos, 37, Mark Diggs, 62, and Shawn Alvarez, 52.
The criminal complaint also alleges the special circumstance of committing multiple murders, murder during the course of a robbery, and the personal use of a firearm.
