MOUNT VERNON, Wash. (AP) — The Washington state man accused of fatally shooting a taxi driver in March 2015 has accepted a plea deal to lower his charge.
The Skagit Valley Herald reports that 32-year-old Solomona Fatu Luteru pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of second-degree murder and one count of first-degree robbery. The murder charge was in the first degree before the plea deal.
Court documents accuse Luteru of shooting taxi driver Lisamarie Eason. Witnesses say that after he shot Eason, he approached a parked car, pointed a gun at the occupant and demanded she exit the vehicle and leave all her belongings.
He was arrested after police located the stolen vehicle. Police say a gun matching the one used to kill Eason was in his possession.
Luteru’s sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 17.