The Imperial County Sheriff's Office assisted the Navajo County Sheriff's Office in serving an arrest warrant in an Pinetop Arizona murder.

Michael Abatti, 61, an El Centro resident, was arrested for First Degree Murder. Abatti is a suspect in the murder of his wife at their White Mountain home. Abatti was arrested at a business in the 100 block of McCabe Road at about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. He was booked into Imperial County Jail and is awaiting extradition to Navajo County, Arizona.

59-year-old Kerri Ann Abatti was murdered at the Pinetop, Arizona home the night of November 20, 2025. During the course of the investigation, Michael Abatti was identified as a person of interest. Search warrants were executed at an Abatti home in El Centro and several other locations.