Stockton man gets 3 life terms without parole for 2019 triple murder

A man convicted of killing three people in a 2019 Stockton shooting has been sentenced to three consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole, plus 75 years to life.

Joaquin Cruz was convicted in November 2025 of first-degree murder in the deaths of 19-year-old David Connary, 18-year-old Tiffany Connary and 18-year-old Remilio Castillo.

The three were shot March 22, 2019, while sitting in a parked vehicle near F Street and Finland Avenue. David and Tiffany Connary were siblings.

Prosecutors said the shooting stemmed from a gang feud and that Cruz and an accomplice opened fire on the vehicle after Cruz located Castillo near his home. Investigators said David and Tiffany Connary were not involved in gang activity.

Cruz was arrested in Klamath, Oregon, about two months after the killings and returned to San Joaquin County to face charges.

"Justice was fully delivered", said District Attorney Ron Freitas in a statement. "Three consecutive life terms without parole means he will spend the rest of his life behind bars, with zero chance of ever stepping foot in our community again."

A jury later found Cruz guilty of three counts of first-degree murder and found firearm, gang and special circumstance allegations true.