Hate Crime, Murder Charges In Killing Of Black CA Navy Veteran

TRACY, CA — Two people who reportedly have a history of supporting white supremacist groups and causes have been accused of murder and hate crimes in the shooting and stabbing death of a Black Navy veteran at a gas station in Tracy.

Police were called to a Chevron gas station on North Tracy Boulevard on March 15 for a report that a man had been shot. One caller said the victim was on the floor of the convenience store, the Tracy Press reported. Officers found Justin Peoples, 30, of Stockton, with a gunshot and multiple stab wounds. He died at a hospital.

Investigators later arrested Christina Garner, 42, of Manteca, and Jeremy Jones, 49, of Stockton, into custody in connection with Peoples' killing. On Friday, Tori Verber Salazar, the San Joaquin County district attorney, said the duo was arraigned on first-degree murder charges with a special circumstance. Prosecutors said Peoples was intentionally killed because of his race, color, religion, nationality, or country of origin. Furthermore, a gun was used to kill him.

If convicted, the two could be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Garner and Jones were expected to appear in court April 4 for further arraignment.

"There is no place for hate in our community. No one should be victimized because of their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or religion,” Salazar said in a statement. “These types of crimes are reprehensible and my administration will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law to hold those who perpetuate hate accountable.”

Sekou Millington, chief of Tracy police, said there's "no room for hate in Tracy or anywhere.”

“When community members are victims of crimes related to hate, we will use our resources to bring those responsible to justice," Millington said.

Christopher Dimenco, 58, faces charges of being an accessory in the killing.

All three defendants were remanded to custody.

A preliminary investigation revealed that there was a confrontation between Jones, Garner and Peoples before the shooting, the Tracy Press reported. Peoples, a Black veteran of the U.S. Navy and father-of-two, did nothing to provoke the attack, Millington told Channel 3000.

The suspects have a history of supporting Nazis, white pride, skinheads and the Aryan brotherhood, San Joaquin County District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar told the TV station.

Photos released by prosecutors showed white supremacist tattoos on Jones, with "WHITE” and “PRIDE” stretching the length of his arms. Swastikas were also tattooed to his arms.

Facebook accounts belonging to Jones also contained references to Norse mythology, poetry, and imagery often used by white supremacist groups, The Daily Beast reported.

Days before the two were arrested, Jones posted on social media that he'd tattooed Garner's name to his neck.

“I wanted to show my girlfriend that I loved her,” he said.

Peoples' father, Maurice Peoples, said his son had "the heart of a lion." He attended San Joaquin Delta College and joined the Navy in 2010. He was also a youth pastor at a local church, and worked two jobs, delivering vehicle parts and packages. He was saving to buy a home.

Justin was at the gas station with his girlfriend to get change for laundry, according to NBC News. The girlfriend was in the car when he was attacked. He had two sons, ages 11 and 2, Maurice Peoples said.

"When he came around, you could feel the light from his smile," he said.

Jones' criminal history dates to at least 2007 and includes charges for stolen property and violent felonies, the Daily Mail reported.

Justin Peoples was arrested in February after authorities said they found a loaded gun in his car that wasn't registered to him, as well as several bags of drugs, including ecstasy, psilocybin mushrooms, Xanax, crack cocaine, fentanyl, LSD and other pills. At the time, Peoples was booked for gun and drug-dealing felonies.

A voicemail message left with the San Joaquin County Office of the District Attorney wasn't immediately returned.