A surprising plea was made in court on Wednesday from the man accused of beating a military veteran to death in Sanger.
David Romero, 47, pleaded "No contest" to a 1st degree murder charge. He's accused of killing Joe Fischer, 100, inside his Sanger apartment last August. Fischer died several days after the attack.
According to CBS47 Legal Analyst Carl Faller, Romero does not necessarily admit guilt by pleading "No contest." He acknowledges that the evidence against him was so overwhelming that it likely would have lead to a conviction during a trial, Faller added.
David Romero, 47, pleaded "No contest" to a 1st degree murder charge. He's accused of killing Joe Fischer, 100, inside his Sanger apartment last August. Fischer died several days after the attack.
According to CBS47 Legal Analyst Carl Faller, Romero does not necessarily admit guilt by pleading "No contest." He acknowledges that the evidence against him was so overwhelming that it likely would have lead to a conviction during a trial, Faller added.
"I'm very happy with the outcome. A drawn-out criminal case is gonna have to bring out some real bad memories for the family members and certainly they'll be able to avoid that. And I think that's a good thing," said Eddie Leal, who lives across the street from Fischer's apartment complex and organized a candlelight vigil after his death.
"Right now, we can put just about everything behind us and move on, you know?" said neighbor Jess Diaz.
Both sides left the courtroom on Wednesday without speaking to reporters.
Romero is scheduled to be sentenced next month. He faces a maximum sentence of 29 years to life in prison.