Wilson and Watts received sentences of 130 years to life and 55 years to life for the fatal shooting of 30-year-old Richard Guerrero outside a Stockton liquor store in November 2024. The sentences followed convictions against both men.
According to the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office, Guerrero was killed in the shooting and another victim was injured. Guerrero was shot in the back and killed, while another victim was injured. The office said the shooting killed Richard and injured another victim. Wilson was later convicted in connection with the shooting.
Stockton Police officers responded to the shooting scene at roughly 6:44 p.m. on November 18, 2024, near North California Street and East Park Street, where they located two male victims before emergency crews rushed them to a hospital, according to CBS News. The surviving victim was an 18-year-old male treated for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound, the outlet reported.
A Months-Long Manhunt Across Stockton
Detectives identified Wilson and Watts as suspects and moved quickly on one of them. The U.S. Marshals Task Force assisted local detectives in tracking down both men, arresting Wilson on November 26, 2024, just over a week after the shooting, per SFGATE. Watts evaded capture for nearly three months, until he was apprehended without incident in North Stockton on February 22, 2025, the outlet noted.
That arrest closed out the case, as Hoodline reported, with Watts taken into custody following Wilson's earlier arrest for Guerrero's murder. Guerrero was killed in the shooting.
Trial Verdicts and the Firearm at the Center of the Case
Wilson was convicted of first-degree murder with use of a firearm, attempted first-degree murder with use of a firearm, and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The convictions included firearm-related offenses.
Watts was also convicted of second-degree murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He had been arrested separately from Wilson months after the shooting.
How the Sentences Reached 130 and 55 Years
Wilson received 130 years to life in state prison and Watts received 55 years to life. The court imposed the sentences.
Under Penal Code Section 12022.53, a firearm enhancement can add 25 years to life when a firearm is used to kill or seriously injure someone during a violent felony, according to Justia Law. Judges may strike or dismiss the enhancement in the interest of justice. The article does not specify which other provisions affected the sentences.
DA's Office Credits Prosecutor, Vows Continued Accountability
The case involved a fatal shooting and an injured victim.
A Killing Amid Stockton's Broader Violence Trends
Guerrero's death was a Stockton homicide in 2024.
The article does not provide more recent homicide-trend data for Stockton.
