"Prominent Imperial County farmer Michael Abatti was arrested Tuesday afternoon on suspicion of murdering his estranged wife, who was found dead in late November in Arizona. Abatti, 63, was taken into custody in El Centro, at about 3:20 pm, according to a news release from the Navajo County Sheriff's Office. Kerri Ann Abatti was shot and killed on Nov. 20 in Arizona's Navajo County."
"Michael Abatti was booked into the Imperial County Jail on charges of first degree murder and is awaiting extradition to Arizona. Earlier on Tuesday, detectives provided testimony to the Navajo County grand jury and obtained an indictment and an arrest warrant from the county's Superior Court. The arrest comes after weeks of investigative police work in both Arizona and California."
"The couple lived in El Centro before Kerri Abatti left in 2023 for Pinetop, Ariz. - her hometown in Arizona's eastern White Mountains. The couple was embroiled in a bitter and contentious court battle over spousal support. Divorce filings show Kerri accused Mike of stonewalling her attempts to learn the full picture of their income and real estate holdings while he made changes to their finances without consulting her or her attorney."
Michael Abatti, 63, was arrested in El Centro and booked into the Imperial County Jail on charges of first-degree murder in connection with the November 20 shooting death of his estranged wife, Kerri Ann Abatti, in Navajo County, Arizona. Detectives presented testimony to a Navajo County grand jury, obtained an indictment and arrest warrant, and seized significant evidence during searches of family residences, properties, vehicles, and camp trailers in El Centro. Investigators found evidence suggesting Abatti traveled between California and Arizona. The couple had lived in El Centro until Kerri moved to Pinetop in 2023 amid a bitter spousal-support divorce dispute.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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