On the eve of his murder trial, a transient pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in connection with the stabbing death of another man near the Ocean Beach Pier on July 20.
The suspect, Robert Daniel Garcia, 46, wrote in a court document he acted “rashly and under the influence of intense emotion.”
Garcia agreed to accept a stipulated term of 12 years in state prison when he is sentenced on Jan. 30. San Diego Superior Court Judge David Danielsen dismissed a murder charge Dec. 17 after Garcia pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with the death of Robert Schoeller, 45.
In a court document, Garcia wrote that he “killed another person after a sudden quarrel after a provocation which made me act rashly and under the influence of intense emotion, which pressured my reasoning.”
Both men were acquaintances and both were transients. Schoeller was stabbed 12 times, mostly in the torso, during the incident.
Witnesses testified at the Sept. 5 preliminary hearing they heard two men yelling and taunting each other around 11:10 p.m.
Garcia’s attorney, Robert Ford, said the men were arguing over beer. Ford said Schoeller taunted Garcia by saying “get off my beach” and used a vulgar name for a woman to describe Garcia.
Ford said it was “a heat of passion” slaying and the offense was not first- or second-degree murder.
Garcia was arrested by California Department of Fish and Game wardens who were investigating reports of someone catching undersize lobsters near the OB Pier.
One warden handcuffed Garcia and the other could not find a pulse for Schoeller.
Garcia was on three years’ probation at the time after pleading “no contest” June 20 to resisting arrest in connection with possessing an open container of alcohol and drinking in public.
Garcia was given credit for three days in jail, ordered to perform two days of public service work and pay a $485 fine, according to court records.
Garcia was ordered to stay away from the 4400 block of Ocean Boulevard and failed to enroll in the work service program by Aug. 30 as required, because he was in jail on the murder case.
Garcia remains in the South Bay Detention Facility on $1 million bail.