Fremont Man Sentenced to 70 Years for Murdering Newark Teen Justice Afoa

A reputed Fremont gang member received a hefty prison sentence Thursday morning in connection to the murder of Newark teen Justice Afoa in December 2010, according to media reports. 

According to the Fremont Argus, Daniel Howard, 31, was sentenced to 70 years to life in prison.

He was convicted for his role in the stabbing death of the popular football player on May 31.

Howard was also convicted on charges of attempted murder, attempted murder of a fetus, kidnapping and making terrorists threats for trying to kill his girlfriend and her unborn child in a separate incident in Fremont on Nov. 25, 2012.

Rafael Tovar, 32, of Newark, and Tovar's half-sister Daniela Guzman, 19, of Newark, also are charged with murder and conspiracy in connection with Afoa's death but are scheduled to be prosecuted in separate trials at later dates.

According to online court records, Guzman is scheduled to next appear in court on July 15 with Tovar scheduled for an appearance on July 18.

Prosecutors said the Afoa’s slaying was an act of revenge, stemming from a fight at a house party at Tovar’s house on Sept. 12, 2010 in which Afoa beat up Tovar. A series of plots to attack followed, including an altercation at on Oct. 30, 2010 where Afoa was assaulted with a beer bottle.

According to the Fremont Argus, prosecutors said that at around 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 15, 2010, Howard and Tovar hid behind a wall and waited for Afoa to walk by at the corner of Cedar Boulevard and Birch Street. The two jumped out and confronted Afoa, who tried to run away.

Tovar eventually caught up with Afoa and stabbed him five times using a kitchen knife. Howard also stabbed Afoa multiple times using an unidentified object, according to the Argus.

Afoa was pronounced dead at the scene.

The chain events that led to Afoa's death also led to the stabbing death of his best friend, 18-year-old Newark Memorial High School football star Osana Futi, in Fremont in April 2012. Abraham Hade, 19, of Fremont, was convicted of second-degree murder for Futi's death and was sentenced in May to 16 years to life in state prison.

Read the Argus report here.