The death penalty case against a Stockton man accused of killing a Lodi couple and their son during a home invasion robbery will be pushed back, a San Joaquin County Superior Court judge ruled Monday.
Steven Anthony Guerrero, 27, faces three counts of first-degree murder in the killings of Joe Pena, 60; Kim Huynh, 69; and their adult son, Alfred Nguyen, 45.
San Joaquin County sheriff’s deputies were called to the 1500 block of east Mettler Road, south of Lodi, on June 8, 2024, for a welfare check after family members said they hadn’t been able to reach anyone in the residence for over a week. Upon arrival, deputies found three people dead from gunshot wounds.
The crime was not initially reported to the public. Investigators said the attack was targeted, and they had evidence leading them to a suspect. But it was not until Guerrero’s arrest three months later that authorities released details of the slayings.
Prosecutors with the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office say Guerrero was lying in wait for the family during a burglary on May 31, 2024. In addition to three counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances, Guerrero also was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and first-degree burglary, along with an allegation of gang activity.
The trial was later set to begin on Jan. 4, 2027, according to a news release from the DA’s office.
But a motion filed by Guerrero’s lawyers late last week argued that more time was needed to prepare. They asked for the trial date to be pushed to later in 2027.
During a hearing in downtown Stockton on Monday, Deputy District Attorney Theresa Stroud said the family would be disappointed with any delay. She said witnesses have already been subpoenaed for the January start date.
But defense attorney Russell Humphrey said “ongoing issues” in Guerrero’s case would require a mitigation investigation. He said one expert has already been vetted, but that person is unable to assess Guerrero until after the first of the year.
Superior Court Judge Patrick Smalling questioned why Humphrey hadn’t begun obtaining expert opinions before now.
“I see that the ball is rolling,” Smalling said. “But how and why did much of that not happen in February, January, April 2026?”
Humphrey replied that prosecutors had not filed the death penalty notice until February 2026.
After Guerrero’s first court appearance in September 2024, San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas said that prosecutors would pursue the death penalty. At the time, Freitas described the killings as “targeted,” “calculated” and “vicious.”
Smalling agreed to push the trial back and told defense attorneys to “show up with a date” at a new hearing next Monday. He emphasized that he would not accept a start date more than a year from now.
When reached for comment after the hearing, neither prosecutors nor Guerrero’s attorneys commented further on the proceedings.