A man in Pennsylvania was arrested after he allegedly hid behind a bush in a Walmart parking lot and waited for his wife to finish her shift before he killed her.
The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that Destino Jean-Louis has been charged with first-degree murder and other charges after he allegedly shot Latosha Cooper multiple times outside of a Walmart in Cheltenham on Wednesday, October 21, around 11:30 p.m.
Security footage caught Jean-Louis, 23, “pacing” and “lying in wait” when Cooper, 45, walked outside of the Walmart with a female coworker after her shift, according to a criminal complaint and probable cause affidavit viewed by Law & Crime.
“[The coworker] and the victim walked out to their vehicles together and were standing in the parking lot talking,” the affidavit stated. “[The coworker] said she saw a black male … wearing a blue-gray colored thin hooded sweatshirt with the hood up and a mask that covered his face, walk by her. [The coworker] said the male slowly walked up toward the victim and shot her.”
The coworker told police she “thought she heard two or three gunshots” as she ran back to the store entrance. She then used her cellphone to call her coworkers to have them unlock the door, and 911 was called after the employees were informed of what had happened.
After Jean-Louis allegedly shot Cooper in the head, he fled the scene to Philadelphia on foot.
Authorities said that Jean-Louis was standing southwest of the Walmart parking lot and had a “direct line of sight to the main entrance of the Walmart” when Cooper and her coworker walked out.
“The suspect was observed walking at a quick pace in an apparent attempt to catch up to the victim,” the affidavit said. “As the victim walked in front of her vehicle toward the driver’s side, the suspect approached her from the rear of the vehicle, appeared to grab her upper body, and extended his arm.”
The U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force eventually tracked down Jean-Louis at a Philadelphia residence on Friday, October 23, following an immigration investigation. Authorities searched the home and allegedly found a sandwich bag that contained 11 rounds of .22-caliber ammunition.
During the investigation, authorities learned that Jean-Louis and Cooper met while they were both working at Walmart.
One employee told investigators that Cooper “married Destino, a Haitian native, to help him remain in the country.” The employee added that the couple experienced domestic problems and Jean-Louis allegedly admitted to “physically assaulting” Cooper in the past when “she had disrespected him.”
“When [the employee] told him this was wrong, Destino replied that in his country such disrespect is not tolerated and that he would do it again,” the affidavit stated.
While speaking to police, Jean-Louis allegedly admitted to contacting Walmart employees to see if Cooper was working on the day she was killed and he “made the excuse that ‘she owed him money.’”
Jean-Louis also allegedly told coworkers that he was upset with Cooper “for no longer answering his calls, which was interfering with his immigration process.”
The defendant and Cooper began dating in April 2024, and she allegedly agreed to help him get his green card by marrying him. However, Walmart employees said that Cooper told them Jean-Louis was “not willing to do the work” in order to finish his immigration process and she allegedly “cut ties” with him. The employees added that he “was not happy about this separation,” according to the affidavit.
It is not yet clear if Jean-Louis has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following his arrest.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
