Undocumented man acquitted of murder pleads guilty to gun charges
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — An undocumented man acquitted of murder in the 2015 fatal shooting of a woman on a San Francisco pier that became a national flashpoint over immigration has pled guilty to federal gun charges.
Jose Inez Garcia Zarate entered his plea Monday nearly seven years after shooting Kate Steinle on July 1, 2015, while she walked on a crowded pier.
Steinle was a Cal Poly alumni.
The case helped fuel a fierce national debate on immigration and sanctuary cities.
The federal gun charges had been pending since 2017 after a federal judge raised concerns about his mental capacities.
Garcia Zarate, who has schizophrenia, faces a maximum of 10 years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 6.
