Fil-Am custodian fatally shot ‘execution style’ following California gym dispute

Rolando Viray Yanga, a 60-year-old Filipino American custodian, was killed outside his home on Sept. 29 after an apparent dispute that began at a Daly City, California, gym where he worked part-time.

What happened: The altercation occurred after an argument over gym etiquette at Fitness 19 at the Westlake Shopping Center, where Yanga confronted 21-year-old Maarji Afridi, a gym member, about vandalism in the gym’s bathroom. As captured on surveillance camera, Afridi later followed Yanga home and shot him “execution style,” firing eight shots. According to San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe, “the victim went down and the suspect then walked up to him and pumped some additional rounds into him at point-blank range.”
Arrest and charges: Afridi has been arrested and charged with murder and multiple enhancements, while his 50-year-old mother, Zaib, was also arrested and charged as an accessory. The murder is classified as an “execution murder” with special circumstances, meaning Afridi could face life in prison without parole. Yanga’s family has set up a GoFundMe, raising over $43,000 for funeral expenses and family support. Yanga is remembered as a kind and generous person, who is “always thinking of other people and sharing things with them.”

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