A San Joaquin County judge has effectively put two Stockton men away for life, handing out 100-years-to-life and 80-years-to-life sentences for a 2023 gang ambush that killed 23-year-old Daniel Juarez inside a house on East Flora Street. Prosecutors say the late-night attack was a planned retaliatory hit tied to a local gang rivalry. Four people were inside the home during the shooting; Juarez died at the scene, and a second victim survived after suffering serious injuries.
Judge Hands Down Long Terms After November Convictions
According to a press release from the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office, Judge Hoyt in Department 8A imposed the lengthy terms on Monday. A jury had convicted both defendants, Dominique Naylor and Jeffery Stewart, in November of first-degree murder, attempted murder and first-degree burglary. The release notes that Naylor admitted two prior strike convictions, which helped push his sentence to 100 years to life.
Prosecutors credited Deputy District Attorney Theresa Stroud and Stockton Police Detective Anthony Cooper for leading the case, and the DA's statement described the shooting as an intentional ambush carried out inside the East Flora Street residence.
Details of the Ambush
CBS Sacramento reported that the attack unfolded shortly before 2 a.m. on September 23, 2023, when Naylor and Stewart allegedly forced their way into the home and began assaulting the people inside. Prosecutors told jurors that Stewart opened fire in a small bedroom, shooting Juarez in the face as he slept in a recliner. Another victim in the room was hit multiple times but survived.
The Stockton Record's trial coverage, cited via The Stockton Record, added that one person in the house fired back in self-defense and struck Naylor, a key detail that helped detectives zero in on suspects.
How Investigators Built the Case
In its release, the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office said investigators linked the ambush to a retaliatory conspiracy involving associates of the Sutter Street Crips and rivals tied to the Norteño criminal street gang. Hospital records and social-media posts provided some of the early leads that moved the case forward.
Naylor was detained on September 29, 2023, and Stewart was arrested on October 4, 2023, according to the DA's account. Prosecutors said follow-up work, including detailed detective efforts and support from victim-witness advocates, was crucial in securing convictions at trial.
Message From Prosecutors and What Comes Next
District Attorney Ron Freitas urged Stockton residents to see the verdicts and sentences as a clear response to gang-fueled violence. “These sentences send a clear message,” he said in a statement reported by CBS Sacramento, calling attention to the coordinated work between detectives and victim-witness advocates.
Naylor and Stewart have been remanded to state prison to begin serving their lengthy terms. Appeals are possible as the next legal step, but for now, prosecutors say the case stands as an example of how physical, electronic and testimonial evidence can be woven together to convince a jury in a complex gang case.
