Illegal immigrant acquitted in Kate Steinle trial to face federal firearm charges

Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, 45, the man found not guilty of murdering Kate Steinle last week, was indicted by a federal grand jury Tuesday, authorities announced. The Department of Justice and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said Zarate is being charged with one count of possession of a firearm and one count of an immigrant in possession of a firearm. During his murder trial, Zarate admitted to firing a single shot from a .40 caliber Sig Sauer and hitting Steinle as she walked with her father on a San Francisco pier on July 1, 2015. He claimed he fired accidentally. Zarate is currently in state custody after he was found guilty on one count of possession of a firearm. If convicted, Zarate faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison before a potential deportation.