Defendant claims he shot victim by accident, but police say video showed intention

OAKLAND >> On the day after his birthday, a Bay Area man was charged with murder in connection with a shooting during an argument at a Hayward residence, court records show.

Steven Velasquez, 38, was charged with murdering Robert Lee Saffold in Monday's shooting.

Velasquez was arrested at the scene of the homicide and allegedly claimed the shooting was accidental, authorities wrote in court filings.

The shooting and its aftermath — where Velasquez allegedly attempted to stage the crime scene to make it appear that Saffold had shot himself — was captured by a home security camera, according to police.

Velasquez was being held without bail and has not yet entered a plea, according to court records.

According to Hayward police, Saffold was shot and killed around 8:30 a.m. in the backyard of a home on the 27000 block of Whitman Street. Multiple people were at the residence. One of them allegedly named Velasquez as the shooter.

A video of the shooting shows that the two men argued after Saffold entered the backyard area, and that Velasquez held a gun by his side as they yelled at each other, Hayward police Detective Justin Green wrote in a probable cause statement.

“Velasquez and the victim continue arguing. After several seconds of arguing, Velasquez lifts up the handgun and shoots the victim,” Green wrote.

After Saffold fell to the ground, the video showed Velasquez attempting to put the gun in Saffold's hand, but he stopped.

During a subsequent interview with investigators, he admitted to shooting Saffold but said he didn't mean to do so.

He added that Saffold had threatened to kill him before, Green wrote.

Saffold's death was Hayward's fourth homicide of 2022.

In addition to the murder charge, Velasquez is being charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.