President Donald Trump has lashed out harshly against the verdict in a trial in which an undocumented immigrant was found not guilty in the July 2015 death of Kate Steinle.
In a series of posts to Twitter, Trump blasted the verdict as "disgraceful" and sought to put the blame on his predecessor for weak border security.
"A disgraceful verdict in the Kate Steinle case! No wonder the people of our Country are so angry with Illegal Immigration," Trump tweeted.
He added, "The Kate Steinle killer came back and back over the weakly protected Obama border, always committing crimes and being violent, and yet this info was not used in court. His exoneration is a complete travesty of justice. BUILD THE WALL!"
The tweets from Trump come after Jose Ines Garcia Zarate was acquitted of murder and involuntary manslaughter charges but was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Prosecutors had argued Garcia Zarate intentionally shot Steinle as she walked with her father on San Francisco's Pier 14, while his defense team claimed the shooting was accidental and the bullet ricocheted off concrete.
Trump claimed the jury in the trial was not told Garcia Zarate was a seven-time felon and took the opportunity to attack Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
"The Schumer/Pelosi Democrats are so weak on Crime that they will pay a big price in the 2018 and 2020 Elections," Trump tweeted.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions also slammed the verdict, arguing the public's safety is put at risk when jurisdictions choose to return criminal aliens to the streets rather than turning them over to federal immigration authorities.
"I urge the leaders of the nation's communities to reflect on the outcome of this case and consider carefully the harm they are doing to their citizens by refusing to cooperate with federal law enforcement officers," Sessions said.
Before the shooting, Garcia Zarate was released from custody by the San Francisco sheriff's department despite a federal immigration request for his detention.
Federal immigration officials have said they will seek to deport Garcia Zarate, who was deported from the U.S. five times prior to Steinle's death.
by RTT Staff Writer
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