A powerful farm owner and energy mogul from Southern California has been charged withkilling his estranged wife, weeks after she was found with a gunshot wound in her Arizona home.
Michael Abatti, 63, of El Centro, was arrested at about 3:20 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 23, on a first-degree murder charge, according to a press release from the Imperial County Sheriff's Office.
The charge stems from the death of Kerri Ann Abatti, 59, who was found unresponsive by a relative inside her home in Arizona on Nov. 20 and was laterpronounced deadat a hospital.
The arrest was made without incident after a warrant was issued earlier that day by the Navajo County Superior Court in Arizona, with investigators from the sheriff's office in Imperial County assisting their counterparts in Navajo County.
Michael Abatti was booked into the Imperial County Jail and is awaiting extradition to Navajo County, Arizona. It's not immediately clear when he will be extradited.
The arrest came after Navajo County detectives executedmultiple search warrantson Dec. 2 on properties and vehicles tied to the Abatti family, including a residence in El Centro, as well as two camp trailers and two vehicles. At least one search warrant was filed in Arizona. They also owned homes in Arizona and Wyoming.
Michael Abatti had traveled from California to Arizona on Nov. 20 and then immediately returned to California, the Navajo County Sheriff's Office said.
Deep ties to the desert's water, agriculture and energy
Michael is ahighly influential farm owneron California's agriculture and political scene. His family has been in the Imperial Valley for more than 100 years and helped build the All-American Canal, which brings Colorado River water to the region.
Abatti Farms includes thousands of acres producing crops such as melons, broccoli, sugar beets and alfalfa, which Michael said in a 2017 legal filing generated more than $10 million a year.
He later expanded into energy development. An energy company he owns won a $35 million battery storage contract from the Imperial Irrigation District, and he proposed a large solar farm.
Couple was in the middle of divorce proceedings
He and Kerri had been married for 31 years before separating in August 2023 and were still in divorce proceedings at the time of her death. After the separation, Kerri became a full-time resident of Arizona.
The couple married in April 1992 and jointly owned Mike Abatti Farms in El Centro since 1999. Michael oversaw business operations for the family's farming, energy and real estate interests, while Kerri managed the household.
Divorce filingsin Imperial County Superior Court outline the couple's assets and describe Kerri's financial struggles as a newly single woman in her late 50s.
She filed for divorce in October 2023 and initially collected $5,000 a month in spousal support. In January, she sought additional financial support and attorneys' fees tied to rental income from farm properties the couple owned. A judge later increased the amount to $6,400.
Challenging Kerri's request, Michael stated that Mike Abatti Farms suffered financial losses in 2023 and 2024, in part because of fuel and shipping cost increases.
Prior reporting from the Arizona Republic and Desert Sun staff was used in this story.
Jennifer Cortez covers education in the Coachella Valley for the Desert Sun, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun:Prominent California farmer charged in estranged wife's murder