A 25-year-old man was sentenced to 80 years to life for gunning down another man in a Turlock parking lot, in what was supposed to be a gun purchase.

Jeramie Skylar Hoover was previously convicted by a Stanislaus County jury of premeditated murder for the shooting of Joel Lopez Guzman, 39. The jury also convicted Hoover of personally using a firearm during the murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm/ammunition.

The fatal shooting happened on Nov. 16, 2020 in the parking lot of the O’Reilly Auto Parts store at 1601 Lander Ave. The gun — a 9mm handgun — belonged to Hoover’s cousin and he was looking to sell it. Hoover wanted to buy the gun but couldn’t afford it. Guzman had agreed to buy the gun and arranged to meet Hoover and his cousin in the parking lot.

Guzman was standing next to his white Toyota sports utility vehicle when he was shot six times in the back.

Through the course of the investigation, which included interviewing multiple witnesses to the shooting and search warrants, detectives identified Hoover as the suspect. But the question of why was still looming. At least until Hoover called Turlock Police Detective Jason Tosta in December of 2020.

Hoover told the detective that he approached Guzman with the 9mm tucked into his waistband. Hoover said that Guzman kept grabbing at the gun and that he “got fed up with him,” according to the affidavit authored by Tosta, seeking Hoover’s arrest. Hoover also claimed he was in a blacked-out state when he shot Guzman.

Hoover ran back to his cousin’s car and told him to drive. They ended up in another parking lot, this time in Ceres. Hoover pointed the gun at his cousin and ordered him to get out of the car, which was found a few days later abandoned.

Tosta encouraged Hoover to turn himself in, but he refused.

He called the detective again in January 2021. He said he was going to surrender but was trying to make some money for an attorney first. Tosta obtained a warrant for the GPS location of the phone Hoover used, which led to Okmulgee, Oklahoma.

The Okmulgee Police Department contacted Hoover during a traffic stop and took him into custody on the warrant. He was booked in their local jail and later sent back to Stanislaus County to face the murder charge.

Deputy District Attorney Ahnna Reicks prosecuted the case on behalf of the People.