Esteban Santiago, who is charged with shooting and killing five people and wounding six others at Fort Lauderdale's international airport, will plead guilty and spend the rest of his life behind bars, the SunSentinel is reporting.
The newspaper said federal prosecutors have accepted his offer to plead guilty. In return, they have agreed not to seek the death penalty.
But first Santiago must complete a mental health evaluation to determine if he is competent to plead guilty.
"Mr. Santiago is remorseful and will plead guilty," Assistant Federal Public Defender Eric Cohen told a judge on Tuesday.
Santiago had originally pleaded not guilty to a 22-count indictment following the Jan. 6, 2017 shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
He is due back in court on May 23. If U.S. District Court Judge Beth Bloom is convinced Santiago is competent, she would then allow him to plead guilty, the newspaper said.
Santiago has a documented history of severe mental illness, the newspaper noted
"That is the court's utmost concern," Bloom said of Santiago's competency.
Santiago had traveled from Anchorage, Alaska to Minneapolis before arriving in Fort Lauderdale. He had checked a handgun in his luggage and then retrieved it before opening fire in a lower-level baggage claim area in the airport, police said.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.