DA will seek the death penalty in murder of Lodi parents and their adult son
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- San Joaquin County prosecutors will seek the death penalty against Steven Guerrero.
- Guerrero is accused of killing two parents and their adult son during a home burglary.
- The victims’ bodies were found in their Lodi home about nine days after the burglary.
San Joaquin County prosecutors will seek the death penalty against a man accused of murder in the shooting deaths of two Lodi parents and their adult son who were killed during a 2024 home burglary.
Steven Anthony Guerrero Jr., 27, of Stockton is accused of killing Joe Pena, 60, Kim Huynh, 69, and their son Alfred Nguyen, 45, at their home in the 1500 block of East Mettler Road.
At a Thursday morning court hearing, the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office informed the judge it will seek the death penalty against Guerrero if he is convicted.
“We cannot, and will not, tolerate this kind of cold-blooded violence in San Joaquin County,” District Attorney Ron Freitas said in a news release. “This defendant didn’t just break the law; he tore a family apart and stole the peace of an entire neighborhood. I am using the full power of this office to ensure he faces the ultimate consequence for these horrific murders.”
Guerrero, who has remained in custody at the San Joaquin County Jail since his Sept. 14, 2024, arrest, is charged with three counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstances enhancement that allege he committed the murders while lying in wait and during a burglary.
The special circumstances allegation make the murder case eligible for the death penalty, however, prosecutors in California have to formally notify the court they will seek capital punishment. That’s what Frietas’ office did on Thursday.
California has not executed a prisoner since 2006, but the death penalty remains legal and is still pursued in select cases. If Guerrero is convicted and the death penalty is imposed, he would remain in prison for the rest of his life unless California’s moratorium on the death penalty is lifted and capital punishment resumes.
Prosecutors said a San Joaquin Superior Court judge in an August preliminary hearing determined there was sufficient evidence and ordered Guerrero to stand trial on the three counts of murder. Guerrero’s trial is scheduled to begin Jan. 4, 2027.
The bodies of the three victims were found about 6:30 p.m. on June 8, 2024, at the Mettler Road home in an unincorporated area of Lodi about a mile west of Highway 99. Prosecutors said they believe the home burglary occurred May 31, 2024.
San Joaquin County Sheriff’s officials have said concerned family members reported they had not been able to reach the residents at the Lodi home for more than a week. Deputies arrived and found the three adults dead, each with gunshot wounds.
At a Sept. 16, 2024, news conference announcing Guerrero’s arrest, Sheriff Patrick Withrow said detectives collected evidence that showed the shooting deaths were not a random crime but “a targeted act of violence” by someone who knew the family. He said evidence gathered in the investigation did show a burglary had occurred.
Guerrero’s criminal charges include allegations of being a felon in possession of a gun and first-degree burglary, along with an allegation of participating in street gang activity.
This story was originally published February 5, 2026 at 2:32 PM.
