Restaurant Manager Kills His Wife, Himself

A Santa Monica restaurant manager shot his wife to death during a marital dispute late Monday night, then turned the gun on himself, police said.

Los Angeles police officers found Damaso Acosta, 42, the manager of Biff’s restaurant, and his wife, Maria, 36, in the bedroom of their home in the 1100 block of El Paso Drive in Mount Washington at 11:50 p.m. Monday, said Detective Loren Zimmerman.

Zimmerman said the couple had filed for a divorce about two months ago.

The couple’s children, ages 11 and 20, were in the next room when they heard the shots, Zimmerman said, and the 20-year-old called police. The children are staying with a relative.

Police found the weapon Acosta used in the shootings, a .357 magnum, but it was not registered to him, Zimmerman said. Police are trying to find the registered owner of the gun to determine why Acosta had it, he said.