FBI Offers $25K Reward for NYC Parolee Jesus Acosta in Two-Night Murder Spree
The FBI announced a $25,000 reward for Jesus Acosta, 31, wanted in connection with two fatal shootings in Brooklyn and the Bronx over 48 hours.
FBI Hunts NYC Parolee Linked to Two Murders in 48-Hour Stickup Spree
The FBI announced a $25,000 reward Wednesday for information leading to the capture of Jesus Acosta, 31, a parolee wanted in connection with the fatal shootings of two men during a two-night robbery spree across Brooklyn and the Bronx, NY Post Metro reports.
Acosta allegedly entered America's Best Wings and Pizza on Rockaway Avenue in Brownsville, Brooklyn, around midnight on Sunday. Police say he opened fire during the attempted robbery, shooting employee MD Yousef, 44, in the head. A second worker, Mohammed Rasel, 39, was struck in the leg.
Rasel, still hospitalized as of Thursday, told the outlet he survived by playing dead. "He touched me…thinking I'm acting like I'm dying," Rasel told WABC. He said Acosta gave no warning before opening fire. "He just came in, he saw me and then he shot me," Rasel said.
Yousef, a father of two children aged 11 and 2, leaves behind a wife and parents in Bangladesh. Shekh Rasel, 36, co-owner of the wing shop and a friend of the victim, described Yousef as universally liked by customers and staff. "He's a very kind person, very warm-hearted, very welcoming," Rasel said. Both men came from the same region of Bangladesh. The co-owner said the community is working to raise funds to repatriate Yousef's body. "He's the only provider for his family," Rasel said.
The alleged spree continued roughly 48 hours later. Around 12:15 a.m. Tuesday, Acosta allegedly opened fire during a hold-up at a deli on East 149th Street near Walton Avenue in the Concourse section of the Bronx, striking Tayvon Shuler, 33, in the chest. Shuler was transported to Lincoln Medical Center, where he died from the wound, authorities said.
Shuler's father, Douglas Shuler, told WABC his son was "a good kid" who "would give the shirt off his back." "That's my youngest," he said. "Just got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. But that's how the city is — he's going to be missed."
Acosta was identified as the suspect in both shootings by his parole officer, according to law-enforcement sources. He had served just over 10 years in state prison before being released on parole in April. His prior conviction stemmed from a May 5, 2015 shooting of a stranger during a dispute at the 110th Street–Malcolm X Plaza subway station in Manhattan, according to police and public records.
Law-enforcement sources say Acosta had no prior relationship with either victim.
In addition to the FBI reward, the United Bodegas of America announced Wednesday night that it is offering a separate $10,000 reward for information leading to Acosta's arrest, according to WABC. Combined, the two rewards total $35,000.
Authorities are urging anyone with information on Acosta's whereabouts to submit tips through official FBI channels.
Source: NY Post Metro