A Daly City mother has been sentenced to three years in state prison for helping her son hide after a fatal shooting that prosecutors say started with a dispute over gym rules. Yesterday, 51-year-old Zaib Un Nisa Afridi was given the term after pleading no contest in August to felony accessory to murder with aggravating circumstances, according to court filings. Prosecutors say the case stems from a confrontation at a local gym that ended with the Sept. 29, 2024, shooting death of 60-year-old custodian Rolando Yanga.
Under a negotiated plea, Afridi was ordered to serve three years and to pay $17,261 in victim restitution, prosecutors said. San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe told reporters his office does not usually land maximum sentences in accessory cases, but called this one "so aggravated." Judge Stephanie G. Garratt described the killing as "senseless" and said Afridi "bears much of the responsibility," according to The Mercury News.
How Prosecutors Say The Killing Unfolded
According to prosecutors, the trouble began at a Daly City gym when Yanga, who worked there as a custodian, confronted a 21-year-old member over sanitation issues and repeated rule violations. Later that evening, authorities say, the gym member followed Yanga home to South Mayfair Avenue.
Investigators say surveillance footage and neighbor video captured the vehicles linked to both men and recorded the sound of multiple gunshots. San Mateo County prosecutors described the incident as "an execution murder" in comments to KTVU, which reported that roughly eight shots were fired at close range.
What Prosecutors Say The Mother Did
After the shooting, prosecutors allege, Afridi drove her son to a relative’s home in Sacramento to help him avoid arrest and later gave detectives misleading information about his whereabouts. Her son, Maarij Abdullah Afridi, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and faces special allegations for lying in wait, use of a firearm, and great bodily injury. He remains in custody without bail.
His next court date is scheduled for Dec. 2, and a trial is expected to begin in mid-2026, according to reporting by The Mercury News.
Legal Context
Prosecutors have said the lying-in-wait special circumstance and firearm enhancements significantly increase the potential punishment the younger Afridi could face if a jury convicts him. By contrast, the accessory charge that Zaib Afridi admitted to carries a much lower sentencing range, yet prosecutors argued that her conduct justified an aggravated term under the plea deal.
Local coverage of the charges and the district attorney’s public comments has been detailed in reporting from KTVU.
Community Reaction
Neighbors and people close to Yanga have described the killing as senseless and have rallied around his family. A GoFundMe campaign was established to help cover funeral expenses and support the family. City officials in Daly City publicly expressed shock at the rare homicide, and early court hearings drew coverage from local TV outlets.
Hoodline first reported the initial arrests in October 2024 and continued to follow the case as it moved through the courts.
The mother’s sentence closes one chapter in a case that has unnerved the neighborhood, but the ultimate legal outcome will hinge on the pending murder trial. Prosecutors say the surveillance footage and other evidence described in court filings will be tested before a jury next year.
