ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A man who broke into the home of a co-worker, starting a chain of events that led to a deadly shooting by Orange County deputies, has been found not guilty of murder.
Cristian Contreras, now 26, illegally entered a home on West Castle Street in February.
The person living there — 26-year-old Jose Luis Lopez — then confronted him, but when deputies arrived, they fatally shot Lopez after seeing him restraining Contreras and thinking he was the suspect.
[WATCH: Video shows Florida deputies shoot, kill 911 caller during nighttime burglary]
Prosecutors charged Contreras with murder, but a jury on Wednesday found him not guilty. Instead, he was convicted of trespassing.
Contreras is still not expected to get out of jail anytime soon, however, as he’s now listed as having an immigration hold.
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