President Donald Trump called the not guilty verdict in the case of an illegal alien and the 2015 murder of Kate Steinle, “disgraceful” on Thursday night.
“A disgraceful verdict in the Kate Steinle case! No wonder the people of our Country are so angry with Illegal Immigration,” wrote Trump.
A jury found Jose Garcia Zarate not guilty on Thursday in the shooting death of 32-year-old Kate Steinle. Previously known as Juan Francisco Lopez Sanchez, Zarate told a local news outlet in a jailhouse confession shortly after he was arrested that he shot Steinle. He also admitted that he chose to come to San Francisco because he knew he would not be pursued by immigration officials. San Francisco is a sanctuary city, and California legislators have since voted to make the entire state a sanctuary state.
Steinle was shot in the back while walking on San Francisco’s Pier 14. Her last words were a plea to her father for help as she died in his arms.
Zarate was found guilty only of felony possession of a weapon on Thursday. The conviction carries a maximum three years in prison according to Breitbart News’s Joel Pollak and, with time served, he could be out of jail very soon.
Steinle’s death made national headlines when it happened. Trump referenced the young woman many times on the presidential campaign trail. He also met with and highlighted many families who have lost loved ones at the hands of foreign nationals illegally present in the United States. In June, President Trump hosted many of these families at the White House and advocated for multiple immigration enforcement bills.
Building a wall along the U.S. southern border and enforcing immigration laws were cornerstone promises of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
Follow Michelle Moons on Twitter @MichelleDiana.
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