The lawyer for an illegal immigrant who fatally shot a woman walking on a San Francisco pier in July has asked for the dismissal of all charges against his client.
Five-time deported Mexican national Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez had pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and other charges for killing 32-year-old Kate Steinle July 1. The suspect’s defense attorney Matt Gonzalez has called the shooting death an accident and asked the court not to charge his client for unintentionally killing Steinle.
The judge canceled a Friday hearing and asked for more time to consider the defense’s request, according to a report.
On the night of Steinle’s death, she had been walking on the pier with her father and a family friend. Lopez-Sanchez said he found a gun underneath a bench and fired the weapon. The bullet ricocheted off a wall and struck Steinle in the back. She died while waiting for first responders.
Lopez-Sanchez was taken into custody and admitted his guilt. In the investigation that followed, the public learned that the gun had been reported missing from a Bureau of Land Management ranger’s vehicle.
The incident revived a national debate about illegal immigration and sanctuary cities, jurisdictions where illegal aliens receive protection from deportation because police do not honor Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer requests.
The court is scheduled to hear the case March 24. If the judge dismisses the charges, the prosecution can refile less severe charges.
