Overview
- Police arrested 31‑year‑old Jesus Acosta on Saturday, Aug. 29, and he is in custody and being questioned in connection with two separate shootings that left two men dead and a third wounded.
- Authorities say the killings happened during a 48‑hour robbery spree that began with a late‑night shooting at American Best Wings & Pizza in Brownsville on Aug. 23 and continued with a fatal shooting inside 149 Grill & Deli in the South Bronx on Aug. 25.
- Investigators linked Acosta to the crimes using surveillance video, a discarded red hooded sweatshirt recovered near the Bronx scene, and tips generated after the FBI and United Bodegas of America offered rewards totaling up to $35,000.
- Public records show Acosta served roughly 10 to 11 years in state prison for assault and weapons charges, was released on parole in April, and has more than a dozen prior arrests, prompting renewed criticism of parole oversight.
- Bodega groups and community leaders are calling for concrete safety measures such as panic buttons, changes to gun laws, and faster permit processes for trained owners, and officials say the investigation and charging decisions are ongoing.