Arnold Schwarzenegger is still taking heat for one of his last actions as California governor.
In 2011, the politician commuted the sentence of Esteban Nunez, who pleaded guilty to the fatal stabbing of San Diego Mesa College student Luis Santos in 2008. The killer also happened to be the son of Fabian Nunez, one of the governor’s powerful political allies.
While speaking out against the “Terminator Genisys” star to CNN, Luis’ parents said they blame the action icon for prioritizing politics over justice for their son.
“He plays a hero in the movies, yet in real life he’s not a hero,” Fred Santos told CNN. “He’s a dirty politician.”
Fred and Kathy Santos weren’t notified about the commutation until reporters called their home. The announcement that Schwarzenegger was reducing Esteban’s sentence from 16 years to seven was made in an emailed news release.
“My son (was) stabbed in the heart when he was alive. Schwarzenegger stabbed him in the back after my son is killed,” Fred added.
Schwarzenegger’s only public comment on the case came in a 2011 Newsweek profile of the politician. While he expressed regret for not notifying the family beforehand, he said he wasn’t sorry for the commutation itself.
“There’s criticism out there. I think it’s just because of our (Fabian Nunez) working relationship and all that,” he said. “It maybe was kind of saying, ‘That’s why he did it.’ Well, hello! I mean, of course you help a friend.”
The victim’s father called Schwarzenegger’s decision “political cronyism at its worst.”