EL CENTRO, CA (AZFamily) — The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) said the search for a killer has taken a new twist as investigators searched homes in a rural southeastern California city.
Deputies sought the public’s help in identifying who was responsible for the shooting death of 59‑year‑old Kerri Ann Abatti at a Pinetop home on the night of Nov. 20.
The sheriff’s office said detectives had searched several properties in El Centro, California, on Tuesday. El Centro is about 60 miles west of Yuma.
Investigators said the homes are connected to the Abatti family and their business. Authorities also searched Michael Abatti’s home in El Centro, along with his two camp trailers and two family-owned cars.
Deputies have not said how Michael is related to Kerri.
“These warrants were obtained and executed based on the result of the ongoing homicide investigation and evidence developed by detectives,” NCSO said Wednesday in a news release.
While investigators ruled Kerri’s death a homicide, they remained tight-lipped about the details surrounding her death or what led them to her body.
“Further information will be released when appropriate and when it will not compromise the integrity of the case,” the sheriff’s office concluded.
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