Hate charges are filed in shootings
Man with history of antisemitism admits to two attacks in L.A. Jewish community, officials say
Hate crime charges were filed Friday against a 28-year-old man with a history of antisemitism and threats against Jews after he admitted to two shootings within 24 hours this week in the Pico-Robertson area of Los Angeles, federal prosecutors announced.
Jaime Tran, homeless and previously from Riverside, was apprehended in Cathedral City around 5:45 p.m. Thursday, authorities said. They recovered several items of evidence, including a rifle and handgun. He was arrested after he “discharged an AKstyle firearm,” according to a court affidavit. It wasn’t clear if he was aiming at anyone at the time.
Tran admitted to investigators that he shot the two victims in Los Angeles, saying he looked up “kosher markets” on Yelp and “decided to shoot someone in the area of the market” Thursday, the affidavit by an FBI agent stated. Tran also admitted to the Wednesday shooting. He cited the men’s “head gear,” apparently a reference to head coverings worn by observant Jews.
Both men were shot at close range as they were leaving religious services those mornings, authorities said, one in the 1400 block of Shenandoah Street, the second in the 1600 block of South Bedford Street.
The victims — one shot in the lower back, the other in a biceps — survived.
In his interview with law enforcement, Tran asked whether the victims died, according to the FBI agent.
Tran, a former dental student, has a history of harassing people he suspected of being Jewish, the affidavit stated.
“For example, in December 2022, Tran emailed dozens of his former classmates, describing Jewish people as ‘primitive’ and encouraging his classmates to blame any ‘inconvenience’ or lost revenue from the COVID-19 lockdowns on the ‘Iranian Jew,’ ” the agent wrote. “Between August and November of 2022, Tran repeatedly texted a former classmate antisemitic and threatening messages, including: ‘Someone is going to kill you, Jew’ and “I want you dead, Jew.’ ”
The affidavit includes a litany of obscene slurs that Tran was alleged to have called his dental school classmate.
Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief David Kowalski said the arrest was the result of federal and local agencies working together.
“Our work together most likely prevented other persons, whether here in Los Angeles or other cities, from being hurt or killed (Thursday),” Kowalski said.
If convicted of both charges, Tran would face up to life in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said.
Both victims gave police descriptions of the car and the man they saw before he shot them, according to the affidavit. The first victim told police the shooter was driving a “1980s to 1990s” gray Honda Civic.
The shooting was also captured on at least one nearby surveillance camera.
An LAPD officer responding to the second shooting noticed a gray Honda Civic being driven by a man matching the description given by the second victim and took a photo of the car, including the license plate, and the driver. The officer later reviewed other camera footage of the incident and realized it was the same man she had photographed earlier.
Vehicle registration records led police to Tran, the affidavit said. They found a cellphone number for Tran and tracked the location on his phone, which led them to arrest him in Cathedral City.
Tran told detectives he had been living out of his car for about 12 to 14 months, they said.
Residents of the Jewish community said before the charges were filed it was obvious the men who were shot were targeted for their religion.
“They didn’t stop them to get their wallet, there was no struggle, the guy just came out of the bushes, shot my friend and ran away,” resident Vivian Eisenstadt told KABC Channel 7. “What other reasoning could you have?”
Tran appeared in court on Friday afternoon. He was ordered jailed without bond by U.S. Magistrate Judge Margo A. Rocconi. His arraignment was set for March 9.
“Over the past two days, our community experienced two horrific acts we believe were motivated by antisemitic ideology that caused him to target the Jewish community,” Estrada said at a news conference earlier in the day. “It is important, especially in one of the most diverse areas in the world, that we celebrate our differences, and stand together to oppose acts of hate.”
The LAPD said more officers will be present in the areas of the shootings.
“Grateful to @LAPDHQ for their swift efforts in apprehending a suspect in this case, who allegedly held anti-Jewish animus. @ADL’s work to combat #antisemitism and protect our communities continues,” Tweeted Jonathan Greenblatt of the Anti-Defamation League.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna wrote on his Twitter page that his agency also “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.”
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement, “Those who engage in either will be caught and held fully accountable. At a time of increased antisemitism, these acts have understandably set communities on edge.”
The shootings have left the Jewish community in Los Angeles — the second-largest in America outside of New York — feeling a renewed sense of dismay at a consistent rise in hate crimes over the past few years.
“There’s an incredible amount of fear, and some anger,” said Rabbi Noah Farkas, President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles.
Farkas said that even before the two shootings, Jewish businesses and places of worship have requested increased security as hate speech has popped up in neighborhoods all over Southern California.
“After a year and a half of this intense uptick, we’ve moved from spray paint and flyers to bullets,” Farkas said. “Hate speech leads to hate crimes. We know that historically, we know that sociologically, and now it’s playing out in real time.”
Farkas was referring to the antisemitic flyers created by a hate group that have been distributed in several neighborhoods, and a banner hung over the 405 Freeway saying “Kanye was right,” referring to wildly antisemitic comments made by the rapper in 2022.
Hate crimes have been on the rise across America, including a sharp uptick in Los Angeles in 2022, according to LAPD data aggregated by the nonprofit newsroom Crosstown. The data found that more than 1,000 hate crimes against various groups were committed in Los Angeles from 2020 to 2022, with more than 600 reported last year alone.