Sacramento residents received a major court resolution Friday in a fatal Del Paso Heights shooting that began with an argument outside a neighborhood convenience store. A Sacramento County judge sentenced Guadalupe Valencia, 40, to 40 years to life in prison after a jury convicted him of second-degree murder and being a convicted felon in possession of a gun, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office said.
What happened and where
The deadly encounter unfolded the afternoon of Nov. 21, 2025, in the 900 block of Harris Avenue just east of Rio Linda Boulevard. Prosecutors say Valencia and 41-year-old Steve Allen Guy Jr. argued at the Stop-N-Save Mart on Grand Avenue. Guy left the store and walked away; Valencia remained and, according to the DA’s office, called his wife to bring him a firearm.
Valencia then got into a car with the gun, followed Guy and, prosecutors say, challenged him to a gunfight. When Guy produced a weapon, Valencia fired. Guy was struck once in the torso and died. Valencia left Sacramento and went to Olivehurst before being located and arrested the next day, according to the DA’s release.
"The murder conviction included an enhancement for using a gun to cause death," the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
Charges, trial and sentence
On Feb. 25, a jury found Valencia guilty of second-degree murder and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. The murder conviction carried a weapons enhancement. Sacramento Superior Court Judge Kenneth Brody imposed the sentence on Friday, according to the DA’s office.
- Defendant: Guadalupe Valencia, 40
- Victim: Steve Allen Guy Jr., 41
- Charges: Second-degree murder; convicted felon in possession of a gun; weapons enhancement
- Sentence: 40 years to life
- Location: 900 block of Harris Avenue, Del Paso Heights
Local context and community impact
The case unfolded in Del Paso Heights, a Sacramento neighborhood that residents and city officials have watched closely as part of broader public-safety conversations. The DA’s office handled prosecution and released the timeline of events used at trial. The sentence closes the criminal case against Valencia, though family members and the community continue to process the loss of a local resident.
| Key date | Event |
|---|---|
| Nov. 21, 2025 | Argument at Stop-N-Save; shooting in 900 block of Harris Avenue |
| Nov. 22, 2025 | Valencia arrested in Olivehurst |
| Feb. 25, 2026 | Jury conviction on murder and gun-possession charges |
| July 10, 2026 | Sentenced to 40 years to life |
Officials with the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office provided the factual account of the confrontation, the flight from the city and the subsequent arrest used in court. The conviction included an enhancement for using a firearm that resulted in death.
For neighbors in Del Paso Heights and Sacramento at large, the outcome underscores how an argument at a neighborhood store escalated into deadly violence and ended with a state prison term. Community leaders and law enforcement continue to cite prosecutions like this one when discussing strategies to reduce gun violence.
