California farmer Mike Abatti has been arrested on suspicion of murdering his wife
A prominent California farmer was arrested Tuesday in Imperial Valley on suspicion of murdering his estranged wife, who was found wounded in November in Arizona.
Michael Abatti, 63, was taken into custody in El Centro around 3:20 p.m., according to a news release from the County Sheriff’s Office.
Kerri Ann Abatti was shot and killed on November 20 in Navajo County, Arizona, authorities said.
Michael Abatti is being held in the Imperial County Jail on murder charges and is awaiting extradition to Arizona.
Earlier Tuesday, detectives presented evidence to a Navajo County grand jury and obtained an indictment and an arrest warrant from the state’s Superior Court.
The arrests come after weeks of police investigations in Arizona and California. On December 2, detectives served multiple search warrants on the Abatti family’s residences and properties, as well as vehicles and camper trailers, in El Centro.
The couple lived in El Centro before Kerri Abatti moved in 2023 to Pinetop-Lakeside, Ariz. – his hometown east of the White Mountains. The couple have been fighting in court claiming support from their spouses.
Divorce papers show Kerri accusing her husband of stonewalling her efforts to learn the full picture of their income and assets while making changes to their finances without consulting her lawyer. Meanwhile, he contends, he’s been struggling to keep up with the several thousand dollars in monthly spousal support the court has temporarily awarded him as the lawsuit drags on for more than two years.
“As the investigation continues, a large amount of evidence was taken, some of which is still being processed, which led detectives to identify Michael Abatti” as a suspect in the murder of his estranged wife, Navajo County officials wrote in a statement.
A multi-state investigative team found evidence suggesting Abatti left California on Nov. 20 for Pinetop-Lakeside, where he “is believed to have shot and killed Kerri Ann Abatti” before quickly returning to California, according to the release.
“Our condolences go out to Kerri’s family and to all those affected by this tragedy,” said Navajo County Sheriff David Clouse.
He also thanked other law enforcement agencies that worked on the case, including the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office, Imperial County District Attorney George Marquez, and “every agency in Arizona that contributed to this investigation.”
Abatti has a large agricultural operation in the Imperial Valley, growing crops including sugar beets, alfalfa and watermelons.
He became an influential person in the community. He served as a board member of the Imperial Irrigation District from 2006 to 2010. He later sued the irrigation district in a water rights dispute.
The Abatti family has been farming in this valley for over a hundred years. Other Abatti relatives run their own separate farming businesses.
