Cop Trashes Million-Dollar Home After CU Forecloses

FRENCH VALLEY, Calif. – A San Diego police officer and his wife have been charged with causing more than $200,000 in damage to their six-bedroom home, which was being foreclosed on by San Diego Metropolitan CU.

The couple, Robert Acosta, 39, and Monique Acosta, 35, allegedly poured dyes on the carpets, smashed stones off the facade of the building, tore out wiring, threw trees in the swimming pool, and even stole appliances and the air conditioning system.

The credit union had given the Acostas until July 1 to move out of the home, located in an unincorporated area near Murrieta. A credit union representative went to inspect the home June 15 and discovered it had been vandalized inside and out, according to court records.

The two-car garage door was gone, along with gates, the flagstone patio and walkway. Some of the decorative facade had been smashed off the house and the outdoor fireplace. Walls throughout the home were sprayed with black paint. The stone floor in a hallway was destroyed. Wiring had been pulled from the walls and cut. Trees and bushes had been thrown into the damaged backyard pool.

Among the items missing were air conditioners, decorative beams, countertops, cabinets, fixtures and woodwork. Later, many of the missing items were recovered by investigators from the Acostas' storage units in San Diego County.

According to court records, Monique Acosta wrote e-mails to the credit union saying she believed she had been misled by credit union officials. In one message she demanded $10,000 in exchange for moving out and leaving the home in good condition.

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