Los Angeles police searching for suspect in three fatal shootings of homeless people

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles police are searching for a suspect in the fatal shootings of three homeless people in separate incidents around the city, authorities announced Friday.

All three shootings occurred in the early morning hours over several days in November, Police Chief Michel Moore said at a news conference along with Mayor Karen Bass and District Attorney George Gascón.

Moore said in all three instances the victims were alone and out in the open. “Each one was shot and killed as they slept” or were preparing to turn in for the night, Moore said.

The police department has set up a task force of investigators that is working around the clock to apprehend the killer, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Jose Bolanos, 37, was found dead with a gunshot wound around 3 a.m. on Nov. 26 in an alley in South Los Angeles, police said.

The following day, Mark Diggs, 62, was shot and killed while pushing a shopping cart around 5 a.m. near downtown, according to officials.

The third shooting occurred on Nov. 29 about 2:30 a.m. in the Lincoln Heights area, where the body of a 52-year-old man was found. Police did not immediately identify him pending notification of family.

Bass urged the city’s homeless residents not to sleep alone and to seek available services. She said outreach workers have been informing residents living on the streets about the shootings and the search for the killer.

“To the person responsible for this, I say this: We will find you, we will catch you and you will be held accountable,” the mayor said.