WHILE ON THE DOWNWIND FOR RWY 24R AT LAX; A B737 FLC MISTAKENLY IDENTED THE WRONG TFC TO FOLLOW ON THE VISUAL APCH. WHEN THEY TURNED INBOUND; THE APCH CTLR INTERVENED AND TOLD THEM THAT THEY WERE TURNING INSIDE OF THE TFC THAT THEY WERE TO FOLLOW.

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WE WERE ON A R DOWNWIND LEG FOR RWY 24R AT LAX HAVING FLOWN THIS SADDE ARR FROM OAK. APCH SAID 'YOUR TFC IS AT 5 MI; 2500 FT 1 O'CLOCK; A BRASILIA.' THE FO AND I BOTH AGREED THAT WE HAD THE TARGET ACFT IN SIGHT. IT WAS AT THE CORRECT LOCATION AND WE COULD SEE IT WAS A SMALL TURBOPROP. WE CALLED THE TFC 'IN SIGHT' AND SOCAL SAID; 'FOLLOW THAT TFC; CLRED FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 24R.' WE BEGAN THE TURN. AS OUR ACFT TURNED TOWARD THE RWY; SOCAL SAID; 'XXX YOU'RE TURNING INSIDE YOUR TFC.' WE ROLLED OUT OF THE TURN AND SAW ANOTHER TURBOPROP; NOT THE ONE WE WERE FOLLOWING; AT 12 O'CLOCK AND ABOUT A MI; AT OUR ALT. WE DID NOT GET A TCASII ALERT OF ANY TYPE. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THIS ACFT IN SIGHT; AND SAID WE WERE APPARENTLY FOLLOWING THE WRONG ACFT. SOCAL CLRED US TO A VISUAL APCH RWY 24L AND WARNED US OF ANOTHER TURBOPROP ON FINAL FOR RWY 25R. WE CALLED THIS ACFT IN SIGHT AND WE DID GET A TCASII RA ON THIS ACFT. WE OVERSHOT FINAL TO RWY 24L SLIGHTLY AS A RESULT OF OUR FIRST ROLLOUT OF THE TURN TO FINAL; BUT DID NOT ENCROACH ON THE FINAL FOR RWY 25R. I HAVE 2 OBSERVATIONS: THERE WERE DOZENS OF LNDG LIGHTS IN THE SKY ON THIS CLR NIGHT. WE ASSUMED THAT THE TURBOPROP CLOSEST TO US; AT 1 O'CLOCK WAS OUR TARGET. IN FACT; IT WAS THE SECOND ACFT. CARE SHOULD BE EXERCISED THAT; WHEN MULTIPLE ACFT ARE IN THE SAME VICINITY; PLTS AND CTLRS ARE CERTAIN THAT EACH IS AGREED ON THE TARGET. SOCAL IS TO BE COMMENDED FOR THE PROMPT CALL THAT PRECLUDED FURTHER DETERIORATION OF ACFT SEPARATION.