A suspect has been arrested in connection with two separate shootings of Jewish men in Los Angeles earlier this week, police say, as the attacks are being investigated as potential hate crimes.
Two Jewish men were shot in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood in separate shootings on Wednesday and Thursday mornings, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said. Both men were assaulted after leaving a synagogue, according to The Anti-Defamation League of Southern California, and the shootings happened less than a mile apart.
The first shooting unfolded Wednesday just before 10 a.m. on Shenandoah Street and the second occurred around 8:30 a.m. Thursday on South Bedford Street, police said.
The victims’ identities have not been released.
After an “exhaustive search,” a suspect, who is believed to be responsible for the shootings, was taken into custody Thursday just before 6 p.m., Los Angeles police said in a news release.
The suspect was tracked to an area in Riverside County, and investigators worked with federal and regional partners to locate him, police said.
The suspect, who was described as an Asian man with a mustache and goatee but not identified, was taken into custody without incident. Authorities said detectives recovered “several items of evidence” including a rifle and a handgun.
Police said earlier on Thursday that they believed one suspect was behind both shootings. They said he was likely driving a white compact car.
“The facts of the case led to this crime being investigated as a hate crime,” police said.
Police said there will be an increased police presence and patrols around Jewish places of worship and surrounding neighborhoods through the weekend.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles condemned the shooting and said it was “incredibly grateful” for the arrest.
“We have also learned that the suspect has a history of animus towards the Jewish community and these incidents will be treated as hate crimes,” the statement said. “As…
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