Noah Hoover, a 20-year-old male of Hispanic ethnicity, tragically passed away on October 6, 2019, in Devine, Texas. He was born on August 11, 1999, in San Antonio, Texas, and graduated from Natalia High School in 2017. Noah was the son of Delbert and Vangie Hoover, and he is survived by his mother, Vangie Vasquez Morales; father, Delbert Hoover, Sr.; siblings, Vanessa Hoover, Delbert Hoover, Jr., and Anahi Hoover; nieces, Evalyn Valera, Jaide Hoover, and Gabriella Hoover; nephew, Julian Hoover;
and numerous other relatives.
Noah's death was the result of a shooting incident that occurred on County Road 668 in Devine. According to reports, Noah and his cousin Jesse Lee Hoover were shot by multiple assailants. Noah was airlifted to a San Antonio hospital, where he was pronounced dead, while Jesse underwent surgery and survived.
The investigation led to the arrest of three suspects: Nathan Gruensteiner, Julian Maldonado, and Vincente Maldonado. Nathan Gruensteiner was identified as the shooter and was arrested after a high-speed chase. The Maldonado brothers were found in possession of firearms and narcotics at the time of their arrest. All three suspects were charged with murder and faced trial.
In January 2022, Julian Maldonado was sentenced to 25 years in prison, Vincente Maldonado was sentenced to 30 years, and Nathan Gruensteiner received a 30-year sentence for murder along with an additional 10 years for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The court found that Gruensteiner had recruited the Maldonado brothers to help him settle an ongoing dispute with Noah Hoover.
The tragic loss of Noah Hoover deeply affected his family and the community, and the swift actions of law enforcement and the justice system brought some measure of closure to his loved ones.
