SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The gun
used in the seemingly random slaying of a woman on a San Francisco pier
belonged to a federal agent, a law enforcement official briefed on the
matter said Tuesday.
The official,
who was not authorized to speak publicly about the case and spoke on
condition of anonymity, said a police check of the weapon's serial
number shows it belonged to a federal agent. The official declined to
elaborate further.
The San Francisco Police Department, which is investigating the case, declined to comment.
The
revelation was the latest dramatic twist in a tragic case that has
become a new flashpoint in the country's debate over immigration
policies.
The suspected
gunman, Juan Francisco Lopez Sanchez, has been deported to his native
Mexico five times and is suspected of living in the United States
illegally when Kathryn Steinle, 32, was gunned down last week while on
an evening stroll with her father along San Francisco's popular
waterfront area.
Federal officials transferred Sanchez to San
Francisco's jail in March to face a 20-year-old marijuana charge after
Sanchez completed his latest prison term for illegally entering the
country.The San Francisco sheriff, citing the city's "sanctuary city" policy, released Sanchez in April after prosecutors dropped the drug charge, despite an Immigration and Customs Enforcement request to hold him for federal authorities so deportation proceedings could begin.
Sanchez pleaded not guilty Tuesday to first-degree murder.
He
told two television stations who interviewed him in jail that he found
the gun used in Steinle's killing wrapped in a shirt on the pedestrian
pier she was walking on. Sanchez said the gun went off in his hands, and
his public defender, Matt Gonzalez, said Tuesday that the San Francisco
woman's death appeared accidental.
Regardless
of the reason behind Steinle's death, the shooting has touched off
criticism from leading Republican lawmakers — and from top Democrats,
including both of California's U.S. senators.
Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton told CNN that San Francisco was
wrong to ignore the ICE detainer request and release Sanchez from
custody.
"The city made a mistake,
not to deport someone that the federal government strongly felt should
be deported," Clinton said. "So I have absolutely no support for a city
that ignores the strong evidence that should be acted on."
Sen.
Dianne Feinstein called on San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee to start
cooperating with federal immigration officials who want to deport felons
such as Sanchez. Feinstein served as San Francisco mayor from 1978 to
1988.
"I strongly believe
that an undocumented individual, convicted of multiple felonies and with
a detainer request from ICE, should not have been released," Feinstein
said. "We should focus on deporting convicted criminals, not setting
them loose on our streets."
The mayor's office said it has reached
out to Homeland Security officials to determine if there's a way to
cooperate while still upholding the city's sanctuary policy.
"Mayor
Lee shares the senator's concerns surrounding the nature of Mr.
Sanchez's transfer to San Francisco and release," said Christine Falvey,
a spokeswoman for the mayor. "As the mayor has stated, we need to
gather all of the facts as we develop potential solutions."
Democratic Sen. Barbara
Boxer, also from Northern California, said she asked Gov. Jerry Brown if
state law was followed in Sanchez's release.
"For decades, I have
supported deporting violent criminals, and I have always believed that
sanctuary should not be given to felons," Boxer said.
San
Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi has defended Sanchez's release and the
city law requiring it to ignore ICE detainer requests. The sheriff said
ICE could have obtained a warrant or court order to keep Sanchez in
custody.
"ICE knew where he was," Mirkarimi said Monday.State and federal Republicans, meanwhile, said they would look into the matter.
Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, who chairs the Senate's homeland security committee, criticized federal officials and demanded to know why Sanchez was not deported.
"Does that make any sense to you?" Johnson demanded to know at a hearing Tuesday. "Because I'll tell you it doesn't make any sense to the American public."
Republican
state Sen. Jeff Stone said he would introduce legislation in Sacramento
to require cities to comply with ICE detainer requests.
At
Sanchez's arraignment Tuesday, prosecutor Dianna Garcia argued against
releasing Sanchez on bail, saying, "This was an act of random violence,
shooting an innocent victim in the back."
The judge set bail at $5 million, which Gonzalez said will keep Sanchez jailed pending trial.
A downcast Sanchez spent
most of the hearing with his head bowed, appearing to fight back tears
while the judge explained the charged to him. Sanchez was aided by a
Spanish-language interpreter and entered his plea in Spanish.
Outside court, his attorney said Sanchez has a second-grade education and a non-violent criminal record.
He could face life in prison if convicted.
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