Jan 16, 2021

Police ID victim, make arrest in Kan. restaurant shooting

Posted Jan 16, 2021 1:00 AM
Zongker-photo Sedgwick County
Zongker-photo Sedgwick County

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have identified the victim as 42-year-old Oscar Acosta of Wichita.

Just after 1:30p.m. Thursday, police responded to report of a shooting  on South Hydraulic in Wichita, according to Captain Jason Stephens.

When they arrived, officers found a victim later identified as Acosta with a gunshot wound. He later died of his injuries, according to Stephens.

Investigators have learned that the suspect identified as 26-year-old Adrian Nicholas Zongker of Wichita entered the  Berrieria Tito restaurant and was rummaging through a trash can "looking for a personal item," according to Stephens.

He was asked to continue the activity outside. Zongker did that and then dumped the trash can out and became involved in a verbal altercation with one of the restaurant employees, according to Stephens.

Acosta came out of the business and during the argument, Zongker shot him and fled on foot. 

Officers quickly located Zongker thanks to witnesses who provided them with a description of the suspect and pointed them in the right direction, according to Stephens. As they were taking him into custody, officers found he was in possession of a firearm.

Zongker is being held on a requested charge of first-degree murder and felon in possession of a firearm, according to Stephens. He was on parole through the Kansas Department of Corrections. He has five previous convictions that include  assault and weapons violations. 

Due to the investigation, Stephens did not detail exactly what Zongker was looking for in the trash. He also didn't know if Zongker had also been a patron of the business.