Jose Inez Garcia-Zarate, Federal Firearm Charges, California 2022

On July 1, 2015, Jose Inez Garcia-Zarate, 51, fired a loaded semi-automatic pistol on Pier 14 of the San Francisco Embarcadero, killing 32-year-old Kathryn ‘Kate’ Steinle. Garcia-Zarate was a convicted felon and illegally in the United States, having previously been deported.

Garcia-Zarate pleaded guilty to two federal charges: being a felon in possession of a firearm and being an alien unlawfully present in the country in possession of a firearm. Both charges carry a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

The federal indictment against Garcia-Zarate was filed on December 5, 2017. A jury trial was delayed when the Court ordered Garcia-Zarate to be evaluated for mental competency to stand trial. Following competency proceedings, a change of plea hearing was set for today.

At today’s hearing, Garcia-Zarate pleaded guilty without a plea agreement. He admitted to possessing a semi-automatic pistol loaded with eight rounds and knowing he was an alien unlawfully in the United States at the time.

Garcia-Zarate’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 6, 2022, at 1 p.m. before United States District Judge Vince Chhabria in San Francisco. Garcia-Zarate remains in custody pending the sentencing hearing.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Eric Cheng and Kevin Barry, with assistance from Madeline Wachs. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the San Francisco Police Department.

Garcia-Zarate’s real full name is Jose Inez Garcia-Zarate. He was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of California state law, but his conviction was overturned by a California state Court of Appeals court. The ruling had no legal effect on the federal prosecution.

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