LA's woke DA George Gascon breaks his silence to say it's 'heartbreaking that Brianna Kupfer was murdered while she worked' after her father blamed liberal politicians for her death: Her 'killer' is held on $2M bail following arrest at bus stop

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Los Angeles's district attorney criticized for his liberal approach to crime has described the murder of a UCLA graduate student stabbed to death in a random attack as 'heartbreaking'.

Brianna Kupfer, 24, was murdered on Thursday at the Los Angeles furniture store where she was working. 

'It is tragic and heartbreaking that Brianna Kupfer was murdered while she worked,' said George Gascon in a statement Wednesday. 

'It is a tremendous loss for her family and friends, the community and Los Angeles County. 

'We are working with LAPD and will review the case as soon as it is presented to us.' 

Her alleged killer Shawn Laval Smith, 31, was booked into a Los Angeles jail around 3.55pm on Wednesday, according to online inmate records. 

He was tracked down in Pasadena a day after the Los Angeles Police Department named him as the top suspect in the random, unprovoked slaying. 

Smith - who reportedly has a rap sheet spanning two coasts - was out on bail when he allegedly stabbed Kupfer to death.

He was cuffed without incident at a bus stop near Fair Oaks and Colorado Boulevard about 11.50am, Pasadena Police Lt. Sean Dawkins told DailyMail.com. It's not clear whether he was armed. 

George Gascon, the Los Angeles district attorney, said on Wednesday that Kupfer's murder was 'heartbreaking'

Fox News captured the moment Shawn Smith was arrested for the brutal, unprovoked stabbing of a 24-year-old student

Shawn Laval Smith, 31, was taken into custody by Pasadena, police Wednesday in connection with the murder of Brianna Kupfer in nearby Los Angeles. He has a lengthy rap sheet

He's pictured being led away in handcuffs in Pasadena on January 19; police said he was arrested peacefully and did not struggle with officers

Brianna Kupfer, 24, was stabbed to death in a random attack last Thursday while she was working alone in a luxury furniture store in Los Angeles. She had texted a friend to say someone in the shop was 'giving her a bad vibe'. Smith is pictured right in an undated mugshot

Smith was taken into custody about 15 miles from the high-end furniture store where Kupfer was killed. A pedestrian tipped cops off after spotting the wanted man sitting on a park bench, Fox News reported. 

The accused killer - who police believe has been a homeless transient - initially gave officials a false name, a source told the news outlet. However, the LAPD fugitive unit was able to confirm his identity with a fingerprint reader.  

Prior to last week's slaying, Smith was arrested and charged with violent crimes in at least three states. At the time of Kupfer's murder, he was free on a $50,000 bond after allegedly firing a weapon toward an occupied vehicle in Charleston, South Carolina, in November 2019.

An indictment in that case was handed down on March 16, 2020, just before COVID-19 paralyzed the courts, and the docket shows no further action on the case.  

Kupfer was stabbed to death while working alone at the Croft House store on La Brea, just minutes after she texted a friend that a man in the store was 'giving her a bad vibe'.

A woman who answered her father's phone Wednesday said the family wasn't available for comment. 

Fox News footage showed a handcuffed Smith being loaded into a police car by cops; he was wearing a black hoodie, black face mask, and grey pants. 

Smith, who is waiting to be arraigned, is a career criminal with a long rap sheet spanning both coasts, and was currently free on a $1,000 bond from a misdemeanor arrest in Los Angeles County in October 2020, sheriff's records show. 

DailyMail.com learned Smith was arrested in Covina, California, on October 27, 2020, and charged for allegedly stealing items from a local Home Depot. He was cited and released, police said.

He was convicted by  San Diego prosecutors in 2017 for carrying a concealed dagger and brandishing a deadly weapon in a fight. He was given three years probation and ordered to pay a $400 fine, according to court records. 

Smith suffered from mental health issues and had a history of violence, Velma Washington - who claimed to be his aunt - told Fox Digital. She said she was not familiar with his diagnoses but 'he was a good boy'.  

The LAPD on Wednesday publicly thanked Pasadena cops for arresting Smith, but have not yet revealed whether he was being charged or questioned.

Smith was arrested by Pasadena cops one day after the Los Angeles Police Department put out a call for help finding the 'armed and dangerous' man

He will be transferred to the Los Angeles Police Department for questioning related to Kupfer's murder

The LAPD shared its gratitude to the Pasadena Police Department, but have not yet disclosed whether Smith has been charged

Smith was booked into a Los Angeles jail Wednesday afternoon and is currently being held on a $2million bond

Jonathan Hatami, a veteran Los Angeles County prosecutor who has been an outspoken critic of Gascon and even sued him for retaliation last year, hit out at his boss in the wake of Kupfer's killing,

He argued that his progressive policies are failing the community, and that he deserves to be voted out, along with other 'woke' DAs in cities with rising crime rates. 

'No parent should ever have to bury their child,' Hatami tweeted on Tuesday. 

'But, if you do lose a child to violence, we must have a DA who is willing to stand up and fight for the victims and prosecute these cases to the fullest extent of the law. Every victim deserves a voice and we all deserve justice.' 

The suspected killer has dozens of prior charges in North Carolina and South Carolina, public records show.

They include assault with a deadly weapon, carrying a concealed weapon, assault on a police officer, trespassing, possession of a stolen vehicle, and misdemeanors for larceny and possession of stolen goods. The outcomes of those cases weren't immediately clear.  

He has a history of failing to appear in court, and has been repeatedly arrested on bench warrants. In one case in Charleston, South Carolina, he was convicted in abstentia after skipping court, and does not appear to have served the sentence, which is sealed in court records.  

Smith has a prolific criminal record, with dozens of prior charges in North Carolina and South Carolina

Smith is seen in Charleston, South Carolina mugshots (left to right) in June 2013 for possession of marijuana, in July 2013 for littering on the highways, and in September 2013 for disorderly conduct

Smith is seen in Charleston mugshots (left to right) in July 2015 on charges of driving without a license, expired registration, and careless driving; March 1, 2016 on charges of trespassing; March 5, 2016 on charges of trespassing and resisting arrest 

Smith is seen in Charleston mugshots (left to right) in November 2018 on charge of contempt of court; March 2019 on charges of entering a premises after warning; June 2019 on charges of entering a premises after warning; and November 2019 for firing into an occupied vehicle, a charge for which he is still free on a $50,000 bail more than two years later

In 2016, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department issued a public appeal for information about Smith, saying he was wanted on '14 active warrants for his arrest for bicycle thefts he has committed in the Charlotte area.' 

More recently, in California, Smith has charges in San Francisco and San Mateo, where he was accused of assaulting a police officer, a law enforcement source told Fox News.

His most recent arrest appears to be for shoplifting, the source said. Smith has been recently seen in Pasadena, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Covina, San Diego and San Francisco, police said. 

'He is highly likely to be using public transportation. Special attention should be given to bus stops and train platforms,' the LAPD said. 

In 2016, Charlotte police issued a public appeal with this DMV photo saying Smith was wanted on '14 active warrants for his arrest for Bicycle thefts' in the area

Earlier, at a Tuesday press conference, LAPD Lt. John Radke revealed that minutes before she was killed, Kupfer had texted a friend to say someone in the store was 'giving her a bad vibe'. 

The shocking attack appears to be random, with no known connection between the victim and her murderer and no clear motive for the slaying. 

Police say Smith was seen walking all throughout the area and entering several stores, speculating that he chose to attack Kupfer after he found her working alone.   

She was working alone at the luxury Croft House furniture store in LA's upmarket Fairfax neighborhood last Thursday when the killer entered at about 1.50pm and stabbed her to death before making his escape through the back door. 

Twenty minutes later, another customer walked into the store and found her in a pool of blood. By the time police arrived, she was dead. 

On Tuesday, authorities announced a $250,000 reward for information leading to the murder suspect's arrest  -  with $200,000 coming from community donations and the rest from city funds. 

'We will find this vicious criminal, we will get him arrested, and we will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law,' Councilman Paul Koretz said as he announced the reward. 

A still photo from surveillance video shows a suspect in UCLA student Brianna Kupfer's murder buying a vape pen at a 7-Eleven just 30 minutes after the January 13 stabbing 

He is seen in this frame lowering his dust mask to reveal the bottom half of his face 

Surveillance video released by the police captured the man identified as Smith strolling into a 7-Eleven located at Beverly Boulevard and Wilshire Boulevard - about 4 miles from the crime scene - and handing a sales clerk cash to buy a vape pen. 

The man in the video, wearing all black, except for a white dust mask commonly worn by house painters, does not appear in a hurry as he places a bill on the counter and counts a handful of coins. At one point, he briefly lowers his mask.

The store worker hands him the vape pen and the suspect walks away, but he immediately returns and apparently asks to exchange the vaping device for another one. 

Kupfer, an architectural design student from Pacific Palisades, was discovered lying in a pool of blood 20 minutes after the attack by a horrified customer, who was heard screaming, 'Oh, my God!.' 

Kupfer died at the scene before help could arrive.  

The suspect dressed in all black walked into  a store located about four miles from the crime scene where Kupfer was found dead 

The man appeared calm as he counted the money and handed it to a sales clerk  

The suspect was last seen carrying a backpack and wearing mirrored glasses 

Kupfer's father has revealed that his daughter was not supposed to be working on the day she was stabbed at the store - and he laid some blame for her death on politicians and their skewed priorities. 

'I blame what's endemic in our society right now, is that everybody seems to be oriented on giving back rights and bestowing favor on people that rob others of their rights,' Todd Kupfer told Fox News.  

The grieving dad said he is not blaming any politicians by name, but he argued that their job is 'to make communities better, to make people care more, not to tear down communities by exposing them to people that are falling out the bottom, that really don't care about other human beings and just think they can do whatever they like in our society.'  

Todd Kupfer said he wants his daughter to be remembered 'as a person, a human being and a caring, loving and devoted family member and a great friend and just a rising star.' 

Brianna was not supposed to be working last Thursday, but she ended up at the store alone. Her father said no one could have predicted that she would be attacked, but lashed out at leaders for failing to protect the community 

Surveillance video shows a suspect in Brianna's murder calmly walking away from the crime scene in Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon 

Todd (far left) said he wants his daughter Brianna (pictured hugging a pet) to be remembered as a 'rising star' 

Todd Kupfer (right) went on Fox News on Tuesday to talk about the cold-blooded murder of his daughter, 24-year-old Brianna Kupfer, who was stabbed to death in LA last week 

'Crime is truly spiking, and we have a lot of criminals on the streets that shouldn't be out,' Kupfer's father told Fox News.

His daughter had been working as a design consultant for about a year at the high-end furniture store popular with celebrities like Mandy Moore, whose Pasadena home features a Croft House sofa, according to Architectural Digest.  

'She was a kind soul and always was trying to make herself better and everything around her better,' Kupfer, said as he fought back tears. 'She cared about people.'  

The murder comes amid a huge crime surge in Los Angeles, with homicides in Los Angeles rising 52 per cent last year from 2019, and shooting incidents were up 59 per cent, according to LAPD data. 

Kupfer said he believes politicians are ignoring this spike in violent crime. 

'We need to champion [my daughter] as a beacon of what's wrong and make sure that people recognize that – because it could be their children next, and it's just an impossible price to pay,' he said. 

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón is under fire for failing to crack down on the recent spike in violence. 

He won over voters last year with promises of sweeping criminal justice reforms that critics say put the interests of criminals before the safety of the community, Fox News reported.  

LA County prosecutor Jonathan Hatami accused his boss, DA Gascon, of being soft-on-crime and failing to protect the community from dangerous offenders  

'When you say, 'here's a list of crimes I'm not going to prosecute,' Yeah, you are not a good DA,' said Hatami, one of Gascon's prosecutors. 'And you are not a good prosecutor. That shouldn't be the first thing you do when you become DA.' 

Hatami has publicly criticized Gascon's policies since he took office, and in September 2021 filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles county, claiming that been denied promotions and discriminated against in retaliation for speaking account against his boss.  

Speaking to Fox News Digital on Tuesday, Hatami did not mince words, launching a full-throated attack against Gascon and his perceived soft-on-crime stance, including his past support for Propositions 47 and 57, which reclassified retail crime as a misdemeanor and lowered the amount of inmates in state prisons.

'So now you have a large group of people who are out of custody, who are committing thefts, who are addicted to drugs… who are not being held accountable for their actions,' he said. 'And now they're preying on innocent individuals.'

Brianna (center right) leaves behind her mother, father, brothers Brandon and Tucker and her sister Mikaela, who was her best friend, her family said

LA crime is on the upswing, according to police statistics. Shooting victims have increased 10.6 percent year-to-year and 53 percent from the same point in 2019

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón (left) is under fire for failing to crack down on the recent spike in violence after murders jumped 12.1% last year from 2020 (right)

The city has also suffered a shocking wave of follow-home robberies and organized smash-and-grab attacks on retailers.     

Jacqueline Avant, the 81 year-old wife of music producer Clarence Avant, became the most high-profile robbery victim when she was shot and killed at her $2.7 million Beverly Hills mansion in December. 

On January 3 in nearby San Jose, nine hammer-wielding thugs stormed a San Jose shopping center and smashed glass display cases at three stores before fleeing with $110,000 in jewelry.

Los Angeles police arrested 14 people last November in connection with 11 recent smash-and-grab robberies at stores, where nearly $340,000 worth of merchandise was stolen.  

A Los Angeles Nordstrom, a Lululemon in Studio City, a Fairfax district store, and a CVS pharmacy in South Los Angeles were among the stores hit.

However, due to county's zero-bail policies, the suspects were all released within hours of being handcuffed.

Gascon said of rising crime rates: 'The reality is that we go through these cycles, and we go through the cycles for a variety of reasons … In many ways we cannot prosecute our way out of social inequalities, income inequalities, the unhoused, the desperation that we have.' 

Police said the male suspect (pictured) is believed to be homeless and fled through the back door before calming walking down an alley

The architectural design student from Pacific Palisades was alone in the Croft House store on La Brea Avenue in LA's upscale Fairfax neighborhood when a man entered around 1:50 p.m. and stabbed her. She was found 20 minutes later by a customer

Gascon is currently embroiled in a dispute over a transgender woman who has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl, with the DA saying she could be allowed to serve her sentence under house arrest. 

Separately, Gascon is facing another scandal after his own cops went over his head to ask federal prosecutors to charge the alleged killers of an off-duty LAPD officer.

LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva sought out the federal prosecution for the four gang members accused of killing Officer Fernando Arroyos, 27, on January 10 over fears pursing them through Gascon could lead to lighter sentencing.

Last year, Gascon axed sentencing enhancements - such as membership of a gang - meaning that Arroyos' alleged killers would likely be eligible for parole in 25 years if convicted on state charges.   

Gascon previously announced he had decided to no longer pursue sentencing enhancements in cases involving gangs as part of an increasingly controversial prison reform policy aimed at boosting 'equity.'

Riley Rea, co-owner of Croft House, told the LA Times that Brianna was beloved by her coworkers at the store where she had worked for a year. 

She added: 'She was mature beyond her years.' 

A memorial for Kupfer has formed outside the Croft House in the days following the deadly attack

A heartfelt note posted to the store's window this week talks about how Kupfer was beloved by her coworkers

A heartfelt note was posted to the store's window this week that reads: 'The entire Croft House family is deeply saddened by the devastating loss of our beloved team member on January 13, 2022. Our La Brea Avenue showroom will be closed until further notice to allow our team members to grieve and process this unthinkable tragedy and in order for law enforcement to complete their investigation. 

Please keep the family, friends, and colleagues in close thought during this difficult time as we mourn, cherish, miss, and honor someone we care for so much. The entire Croft House family sends our love to our team member's family and friends. Please direct all questions related to this tragic event to the LAPD.'

At the bottom of the page is a handwritten note that reads: 'We love you so much.' 

 Dr. Jennifer Botelho, the owner of a nearby chiropractic office, said the suspect entered her business shortly before the stabbing. 

She said: 'He came in and asked a couple of questions: 'Do you do orthopedics here?' What kind of care we provide, and then he left. So he was just here for a few minutes.' 

She added: 'It's terrifying. It's horrible. She's such a young girl. … We feel so horrible for Brianna's family, and hope we can catch this guy.'

Her father described as her an 'angel' and a clever young woman who was devoted to her family with big aspirations.  

Brianna leaves behind her mother, father, brothers Brandon and Tucker, and her sister Mikaela, who was her best friend, her family said. 

Anyone with information about the murder of Brianna Kupfer is urged to contact CrimeStoppers anonymously for a potential cash reward at 800-222-TIPS.