Turlock man sentenced to 80 years to life for murder committed during gun deal

Jeramie Skylar Hoover, 25, was sentenced to 80 years to life in state prison on Wednesday for the 2020 murder of a man during an attempted gun sale in Turlock.

The standard sentence for murder in Stanislaus County is normally 25 years to life. However, his sentence was multiplied and enhanced due to several prior convictions that made him eligible for California’s three strikes law.

Hoover sat before Judge Linda McFadden in his assigned orange and white striped jail attire as his sentence was delivered. He appeared restless and fidgety throughout the hearing, shaking his head at times when the prosecution read testimony about his arrest. Hoover did not make a statement.

McFadden urged Hoover to make his time in prison productive, particularly because of his young age. She told him there were multiple ways he could benefit and educate himself as he served his sentence.

“I really hate to see the fact that two lives now are affected by the conduct,” said McFadden. “Obviously, what happened here… it’s a complete tragedy for the victim and the victim’s family. But, don’t make this a tragedy for you completely. Do something that will still benefit you and others. Good luck.”

In addition to the time served, Hoover was ordered to pay nearly $2,000 in restitution to the victim’s family.

The murder and Hoover’s arrest

Hoover shot and killed Joel Guzman Jr. on Nov. 16, 2020, in the parking lot of the Turlock O’Reilly Auto Parts store when a deal for a gun went bad, according to an affidavit authored by Detective Jason Tosta with the Turlock Police Department.

Initially, Hoover wanted to purchase a gun from his cousin but couldn’t afford it. Instead, they both agreed to sell the weapon to Guzman and split the profits.

Hoover’s cousin told police that he drove Hoover to a spot and waited in the car. He said he heard gunshots and then Hoover got back into his car and demanded he flee the scene. They eventually stopped in a parking lot in Ceres, which is where Hoover demanded, at gunpoint, that his cousin hand over his vehicle to him, which he did, according to the affidavit.

Throughout his investigation, Tosta interviewed several friends and family members of both Hoover and Guzman. While speaking to Hoover’s mother, he gave her his phone number and asked her to tell Hoover to call him.

Hoover eventually did call Tosta in December 2020. During the conversation, Hoover said that he shot Guzman because “he was reaching for his gun.” He also expressed fear of going to jail at a young age and told Tosta he didn’t remember the actual shooting because he had “blacked out.”

Hoover told Tosta that he had fled to Oklahoma and was trying to make some money before coming back to California to turn himself in. Phone records confirmed his location and he was arrested in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. Law enforcement there arrested Hoover during a traffic stop Jan. 7, 2021. He was extradited to Stanislaus County.