Man accused of shooting two Jewish men leaving LA synagogues arrested in Cathedral City
The Department of Justice filed federal hate crime charges against a Riverside County man accused of shooting two Jewish men as they left synagogues in Los Angeles earlier this week.
The shootings happened in the Pico-Robertson district less than 24 hours apart.
On Thursday, authorities arrested Jaime Tran, 28, formerly of Riverside, in the Cathedral City area.
"The complaint alleged that Tran motivated by hate, targeted two victims because they were Jewish or he believed them to be Jewish," said Martin Estrada, United State Attorney for the Central District of California.
Tran is charged with committing a hate crime by interference with federally protected activities and use of a firearm in a felony, according to a criminal complaint unsealed today. If convicted of both charges, Tran would face up to life in federal prison, Estrada said.
He appeared in Los Angeles federal court Friday afternoon and was ordered to remain jailed without bail. Magistrate Judge Margo A. Rocconi scheduled his arraignment for March 9.
According to a court affidavit, he admitted to investigators that he shot the two victims, saying he looked up "kosher markets" on Yelp and "decided to shoot someone in the area of the market'' on Thursday.
He also admitted to the previous shooting on Wednesday, according to the affidavit. Investigators also allege he has a history of antisemitism, sending threatening messages and voicemails to a Jewish classmate at a dental school, and sending more antisemitic messages to other classmates.
According to the criminal complaint, the Los Angeles Police Department identified a phone number associated with Tran on Thursday and were able to determine that he was in the Palm Springs area.
Thursday at around 5:45 p.m., the Cathedral City Police Department received a call about a man with a gun in the area of Cathedral City, the criminal complaint revealed.
Police also received reports of a shot fired and seeing a man with a firearm near a Honda Civic. As relayed to federal agents by the responding officers, upon arrival, CCPD located Tran standing next to the driver side door of the subject vehicle.
"On approaching the car, the officers saw in plain view on the driver side front seat an AK-style rifle and a .380-caliber handgun, consistent with the firearm believed to have been used in the shootings, based on shell casings left at the scene. Officers also found a spent casing consistent with having been discharged from an AK-style rifle,"
- Criminal complaint
Tran was arrested without incident, police said. Federal agents thanked the Cathedral City and Palm Springs Police Departments as well as the Riverside County Sheriff's Department for their assistance in the arrest.
The LAPD announced before the arrest it was "re-allocating police resources to provide a highly visible and preventative presence in the area."
"In an abundance of caution, there will continue to be an increased police presence and patrols around Jewish places of worship and surrounding neighborhoods through the weekend," the department announced following the arrest.
The first shooting occurred around 9:55 a.m. Wednesday in the 1400 block of Shenandoah Street, near Pico Boulevard, between Robertson and La Cienega boulevards. A man in his 40s was shot in the back while walking to his vehicle, authorities told the Los Angeles Times.
The second occurred at 8:30 a.m. Thursday in the 1600 block of South Bedford Street, two blocks south of Pico Boulevard and one block east of Shenandoah Street. The man was shot in an arm, The Times reported.
Both victims survived.
At the time of this week's shootings, Tran was free on $30,000 bond on a felony charge of possessing a weapon on school grounds -- for allegedly carrying a gun on the campus of Cal State Long Beach in July 2022. He is due back in Los Angeles Superior Court in that case on Feb. 28.
The District Attorney's Office stated that at the time the case was filed, Tran had no prior criminal history and the office "was not made aware of any allegations of threats against the Jewish community."
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna wrote on his Twitter page that his department "will increase patrol checks around Jewish synagogues and Jewish centers in our jurisdictions. Patrol stations will remain vigilant and report any threats of violence to Major Crimes."
Mayor Karen Bass said that "antisemitism and hate crimes have no place in our city or our country."
"Those who engage in either will be caught and held fully accountable,'' Bass said. "At a time of increased antisemitism, these acts have understandably set communities on edge."
Bass continued, "Just last December, I stood blocks away from where these incidents occurred as we celebrated the first night of Hanukkah together. Now, my pledge to the Pico-Robertson community and to the city of Los Angeles as a whole, is that we will fight this hatred vigorously and work every day to defeat it."
Palm Springs Mayor Grace Garner released a statement on the shootings:
The City of Palm Springs and the Palm Springs police are closely monitoring recent events in the City of Los Angeles over the past two days.
The shootings appeared to target members of the Jewish community. The Palm Springs Police Department regularly monitor events and critical incidents such as these to understand the local threat picture and make adjustments to police operations in order to prevent violence.
The City Council and all staff members want our Jewish community members to know that we stand with you, beside you, and will do everything within our power to protect your right to freedom of worship.
There can be no room for hate in Palm Springs. We take antisemitic and all hate crimes seriously. Police officers will be highly visible around local synagogues and temples to ensure that our Jewish community is safe to worship without fear.
As Mayor of Palm Springs, I encourage all members of our community to stand united against all forms of hate and antisemitism.
Anyone with information on the shootings was urged to call the LAPD at 877-527-3247. Anonymous tips can be made through Crime Stoppers at 800-222- 8477 or at www.lacrimestoppers.org.
