A trigger-happy parolee who shot two innocent to death men during hold-ups in the Bronx and Brooklyn cruelly stole from the bag of a victim dying on the floor of a bodega, prosecutors have revealed.
The chilling new detail about Jesus Acosta’s horrific spree was revealed at the 31-year-old ex-con’s arraignment in Bronx Criminal Court late Sunday, where he was ordered held without bail for the two cold-blooded shootings.
“God is good, God is great,” told news cameras as police led him into an NYPD vehicle outside the Bronx’s 43rd Precinct stationhouse to take him to the courthouse, ABC 7 New York reported.
Acosta sparked a week-long manhunt after he killed two men in 48 hours and left a third wounded.
Just after midnight on Aug. 23, he walked into American Best Wings & Pizza on Rockaway Ave. near Newport St. in Brownsville, intent on robbing the place, cops said.
He killed worker MD Yousuf, 44, with a bullet to the head, and shot and wounded another employee, 39, then fled, police said. Yousuf’s co-worker told ABC 7 New York from his hospital that he played dead, and in a terrifying moment, the gunman touched him to check if he was still alive.
Yousuf, a hardworking Bangladeshi immigrant living in East New York, sent his wages back to support his large family, including two young daughters, aged 3 and 12, the restaurant’s co-owner told the Daily News.
Just over 48 hours later, Acosta struck in the Bronx, bursting into the 149 Grill & Deli on E. 149th St. near Walton Ave. in Mott Haven, cops said.
High-definition surveillance video caught the crime as it happened about 12:15 a.m. Tuesday, prosecutors said Sunday. Acosta, dressed in a red hoodie, his face uncovered, allegedly pulled out a gun and started blasting wildly, hitting customer Tayvon Shuler, 33, of Brooklyn, in the chest as he shopped. He also shot at two workers, then reached behind the counter to grab cash from the register, prosecutors said.
In a cruel coup de grace, Acosta reached into Shuler’s bag to steal an item while the innocent customer was still alive, prosecutors said.
Acosta’s parole officer recognized him from surveillance video that circulated among law enforcement and in local news coverage, police said.
He tried to run and refused to be cuffed when cops caught up with him near Watson and Morrison Aves. in Soundview, roughly three miles from his Mott Haven home Saturday, prosecutors said. He had a .22-caliber semi-automatic pistol in his shorts pocket under his pants, with one bullet in the chamber and another in the magazine, according to a criminal complaint.
Acosta was charged by cops with two counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder for the bodega workers he fired at and robbery and weapon charges.
Prosecutors then hit him with additional weapon possession and resisting arrest charges related to his Saturday morning arrest.
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Shooting victim Tayvon Shuler. (GoFundMe)
Acosta has 13 prior arrests, including for robbery in 2010 when he was just 14, authorities say.
In May 2015, at age 19, he shot a man in the arm on an East Harlem subway platform after they argued on an uptown No. 2 train, cops said. Acosta was arrested for attempted murder, assault, weapon possession and reckless endangerment.
He pleaded guilty to assault and weapon possession and was just released on parole this April after serving 10 years in state prison.
Acosta is due back in Bronx court Thursday. His lawyer did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
He still awaits arraignment for the Brooklyn slaying.
