39-year-old man faces cold case murder charge in L.A. Juvenile Court - Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
by Matthew OrmsethFebruary 19, 2026
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A 39-year-old man, Victor Perez, is facing a cold case murder charge in Los Angeles Juvenile Court for the killing of Rosalba Acosta in 2003. Despite being an adult now, Perez is being prosecuted as a juvenile because he was 17 at the time of the crime. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, which stem from a shooting that occurred after Acosta's family had gathered for Thanksgiving dinner. The case remained unsolved for nearly two decades until detectives used traditional investigative methods, including informant outreach and interviews, to secure Perez’s arrest in 2022.
The incident took place on November 28, 2003, when Rosalba Acosta, a mother of six, was driving her family back home from a visit with relatives. Her husband, Jose Acosta, had been drinking and switched seats with Rosalba to let her drive. As they were about to leave, Louis Acosta, one of Rosalba’s sons, heard gunshots and saw someone leaning out of a car window with a handgun. The truck’s rear windshield was shattered, and Rosalba was struck in the head by a single bullet, killing her instantly. Her husband, Jose, had immigrated to Los Angeles from Culiacán, Mexico, as a teenager, working long hours at gas
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Originally published on Los Angeles Times on 2/19/2026