Robert Lee Saffold Jr.

Robert Lee Saffold Jr., a 34-year-old Black man, was remembered by his mother as a “loving and giving young man” who was starting to move his life in a positive direction. Known to some as Rob, he was described as a singer, artist, and a funny person who would help anyone if he could. His mother, Mary Ann Brooks, recalled how he would call just to sing, check in, or make his family laugh.

On the morning of June 13, 2022, Saffold was at a residence on the 27000 block of Whitman Street in Hayward, California. Around 8:30 a.m., Hayward police officers responded to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon and found Saffold in the backyard, unresponsive with a gunshot wound. Emergency medical personnel pronounced him dead at the scene. The shooting, which was Hayward’s fourth homicide of 2022, prompted a temporary lockdown at nearby Tennyson High School until authorities determined there was no further threat.

The man who lived at the home, 38-year-old Steven Velasquez, was arrested at the scene. He initially gave investigators several conflicting stories, including that Saffold had accidentally shot himself during a struggle. However, a home security camera had recorded the incident. The video footage showed Saffold and Velasquez in a heated argument before Velasquez, who was holding a handgun by his side, lifted the weapon and shot Saffold. After Saffold fell, Velasquez was seen trying to place the gun in his hand and removing jewelry from his body. When confronted with the video, Velasquez admitted to the shooting but claimed it was unintentional, adding that Saffold had previously threatened to kill him.

The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office charged Velasquez with murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm. During a preliminary hearing, his defense attorney argued he had acted in self-defense. Velasquez later accepted a plea agreement with prosecutors.

In a July 2025 court hearing, Velasquez pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter, and the murder charge was dropped. Before he was sentenced, Saffold's mother addressed the court. “We will never receive a call from Robert singing or just checking in to see how someone is doing or just to make us laugh,” she said. Velasquez was formally sentenced to 13 years in prison. He was transferred to North Kern State Prison in August 2025, and the case was closed as of September 2025.