Husband Charged With Fatally Shooting Estranged Wife At Whittier Kohl's
BELLFLOWER (CBSLA) — A man accused of gunning down his estranged wife inside of a Kohl's store in Whittier days before Christmas was charged Monday with murder and child abuse.
Prosecutors allege 41-year-old Enrique Acosta violated a protective court order related to a 2019 domestic violence conviction and fatally shot 46-year-old Yvonne Annette Acosta Dec. 22, though it was not immediately clear if that protective order named Acosta's estranged wife.
According to police, officers were called out to Whittwood Town Center on Whittier Boulevard at about 5:30 p.m. for reports of shots fired. Yvonne Acosta was found on the floor inside the store and died at the scene. Acosta was taken into custody hours later in the Barstow area.
In addition to murder and violation of a court order, Acosta was also charged with one count each of child abuse under circumstances likely to cause great bodily injury or death, possession of a firearm by a felon and hit-and-run resulting in property damage. A gun allegation is also included in the complaint.
According to the complaint, Acosta was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in 2000 in connection with a 1998 case. According to court records, he was sentenced to 12 years as a result of a guilty plea.
Acosta is being held in lieu of $2 million bail and is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in a Bellflower courtroom.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)