A Philadelphia man has been charged with murder in the shooting death of his estranged wife outside a Walmart in Cheltenham, Montgomery County, according to court documents and a release from the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office.
Destino Jean Louis, 23, a Haitian national, was arrested by U.S. Marshals on Friday, October 23, around 9 a.m. on the 6600 block of N. 18th Street in Philadelphia. He was initially taken into custody on immigration violations tied to overstaying a visa he had obtained through a now-terminated relief program for Haitian nationals. While in federal custody, the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office charged him in connection with the fatal shooting.
U.S. Marshals Service Philadelphia described the arrest in a Monday post on X, noting Jean Louis “was the prime suspect in the October 21st fatal shooting of a 45 year-old Walmart employee who had just left her shift.”
The victim has been identified as 45-year-old Latosha Ann Cooper, Jean Louis’ estranged wife. The two married in March, but investigators told Fox29 that immigration officials had concluded the marriage was not legitimate and had been entered into solely for immigration purposes. Court records reviewed by Fox29 show Cooper withdrew her petition to sponsor Jean Louis’ visa in July.
According to Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele, Jean Louis hid near a bush outside the Walmart where Cooper worked, wearing a mask, and waited for her to finish her night shift. Court documents state that “when Cooper left the store, he ran towards her and fatally shot her.”
Court filings also show that Jean Louis had previously worked at the same Walmart before being terminated for immigration-related reasons. He allegedly had physically assaulted Cooper in the past and had repeatedly contacted store staff asking for her work schedule.
Prosecutors said phone records show Jean Louis made multiple trips between his residence in Philadelphia and the Cheltenham Walmart in the weeks before the shooting.
Jean Louis faces charges of first-degree murder, third-degree murder, illegal alien use of a firearm, carrying a firearm without a license, and possession of an instrument of crime, according to court documents. He is being held without bail at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.
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