CHELTENHAM TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A 23-year-old Haitian national has been formally charged with first-degree murder following the execution-style fatal shooting of a Walmart manager outside the Cedarbrook Plaza store where she worked.
Destino Jean-Louis was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals in North Philadelphia following the October 21 late-night attack that claimed the life of 45-year-old Latosha Ann Cooper, a mother of three. Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele announced the charges, which include first- and third-degree murder, firearms violations, and possessing an instrument of crime.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Jean-Louis and Cooper had previously worked together at the Cheltenham Township Walmart on South Easton Road. The pair began a romantic relationship and obtained a marriage license in early 2025. Investigators stated that the union was orchestrated primarily to secure legal immigration status for Jean-Louis, who initially entered the United States via the federal CHNV parole program.
Federal immigration authorities subsequently scrutinized the union, ruling it a sham marriage. In July, Cooper officially withdrew her petition to sponsor his permanent residency visa. Court filings reveal that the relationship deteriorated rapidly afterward, marked by prior physical altercations and Jean-Louis’s termination from the store.
Prosecutors detail that in the weeks leading up to the homicide, Jean-Louis repeatedly contacted store staff in attempts to track Cooper’s work schedules, making multiple surveillance trips between his Philadelphia residence and the Cheltenham shopping center.
On the night of October 21, Jean-Louis allegedly donned a mask and concealed himself in the landscaping bushes outside the exit. As Cooper concluded her late shift and walked toward her vehicle alongside a coworker, Jean-Louis ambushed her, opening fire and striking her multiple times. Cooper succumbed to her injuries at the scene.
During subsequent search warrants executed at Jean-Louis’s residence, authorities recovered a quantity of .22-caliber ammunition matching projectiles retrieved during an autopsy performed by forensic pathologist Dr. Anna Tart.
Jean-Louis is currently being held without bail at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility. Local authorities urge anyone with additional information regarding the incident to contact Montgomery County Detectives or the Cheltenham Police Department.
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Ex-Walmart employee arrested in murder of former partner outside
This news report provides a visual overview and local coverage of the arrest outside the Cheltenham Walmart.