New York City police are seeking Jesus Acosta, 31, a parolee suspected of committing two fatal robberies approximately 48 hours apart. The incidents involved the deaths of a Brooklyn restaurant worker and a Bronx deli customer.
Acosta, who has been on parole since April after serving time for a 2015 subway shooting, allegedly carried out his latest crimes around midnight on Sunday at America’s Best Wings and Pizza in Brooklyn. During the incident, a 44-year-old worker, identified as MD Yousuf, was shot in the head and pronounced dead at Brookdale Hospital Medical Center. Another man, 39, was shot in the leg and listed in stable condition. Yousuf, originally from Bangladesh, was described as a hardworking provider for his family, which includes his wife and two daughters.
Approximately two days later, around 12:15 a.m. on Tuesday, Acosta is accused of opening fire during another robbery at a deli on East 149th Street in the Bronx. A 33-year-old male customer was shot in the chest and initially reported in stable condition but later died at Lincoln Medical Center. Video evidence from the scene reportedly shows the suspect taking cash from the register before fleeing.
Law enforcement sources indicated that Acosta was identified as the suspect in both shootings by his parole officer. He had been released on parole in April, having served over 10 years for a 2015 conviction related to a shooting on a Manhattan subway platform after an argument. Public records show he pleaded guilty to first-degree assault and received an 11-year sentence in 2016. Acosta also has three other prior arrests, though the details are not immediately clear.
Acosta is described by police as being around 5-foot-11, weighing 175 pounds, with short brown hair and brown eyes. He has a tattoo of "Bronx" on one hand and "Bobby" on his left forearm. Authorities are urging anyone with information on his whereabouts to contact the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline.