Jariah Edwards, 17, had traveled from Arizona before she was shot outside a Bay Park rental.
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Jariah Edwards came to San Diego from Arizona with family while 32 weeks pregnant, but the trip ended when police say her former boyfriend found her outside a rental home and shot her.
Edwards, 17, died at a hospital May 30 after the early morning shooting in Bay Park. Her daughter was delivered by emergency cesarean section and lived for about a week before dying June 7. Trevon Williams, 21, who prosecutors say was the baby’s father, has pleaded not guilty to two murder counts and a weapons charge. The case is now moving through San Diego Superior Court.
The shooting broke through a quiet residential block at about 1:10 a.m. in the 4900 block of Gardena Avenue. San Diego police said dispatchers received multiple calls reporting gunfire. Officers found Edwards unresponsive with a gunshot wound to the head and began emergency aid. The family had been staying in a short-term vacation rental, a detail that left relatives far from home as doctors, homicide detectives and prosecutors took over the hours that followed.
Friends and relatives publicly identified Edwards after police initially withheld her name because she was a juvenile. They described her as a young woman preparing for the birth of her first child. Family statements said her newborn daughter was fighting for life after the emergency delivery. Friends said Edwards had been excited about motherhood and that the baby gave her something to look forward to. They also said people close to Edwards had concerns about her relationship with Williams before the shooting.
Prosecutors say those concerns were part of the background to the alleged ambush. Deputy District Attorney Alexandra Lorens said Edwards and Williams began dating last fall, but Edwards had blocked his number and was not speaking with him when she was killed. Lorens said that was because of domestic violence and threats Edwards had experienced. Those allegations have not been tested at trial. Williams has denied guilt through his pleas, and the court process will determine what evidence a jury may hear.
The account presented in court describes a long trip followed by waiting. Prosecutors say Williams ordered a Lyft from Arizona after learning where Edwards was staying. Lorens said he had the driver stop several houses away from the rental, then hid near the side of the house. Rather than approach directly, prosecutors allege, he sent a DoorDash order of flowers. Edwards came outside with a family member, Lorens said, and Williams did not shoot. Prosecutors say he then arranged another delivery, this time of a vase, and waited until Edwards emerged alone.
Police said Williams fled on foot to a nearby canyon after Edwards was shot. Officers found him about 3 a.m. near 4900 September Street and took him into custody. A semi-automatic handgun was recovered, police said. Prosecutors later alleged he had changed clothes while hiding. The arrest came less than two hours after the first emergency calls, but by then Edwards was at a hospital and her baby had been delivered under emergency conditions.
The baby’s condition became a second center of grief. For several days after the shooting, the child remained hospitalized in critical condition. Police later said she had suffered a severe hypoxic brain injury. The injury was tied to oxygen loss after the shooting, prosecutors said. The child died June 7, and a later complaint identified her as Riyary E. Prosecutors then added a second murder count, changing the case from the death of a pregnant teen to a prosecution over the deaths of a mother and daughter.
The courtroom scenes that followed showed the family’s loss in public. At Williams’ arraignments, Edwards’ relatives sat through descriptions of the shooting, the baby’s injury and the charges. Lorens told the court that Williams was the father of the child. She also described an alleged audio recording in which Williams said he had shot Edwards in the face and killed her. The recording itself has not been fully released to the public, and the defense has not yet had a trial setting to contest its meaning or admissibility.
The case also raises questions prosecutors will have to answer with records, witnesses and expert testimony. Investigators must show how Williams allegedly knew Edwards’ location, how the delivery orders were placed, what surveillance or digital records exist, what the firearm evidence shows and what caused the baby’s death. Prosecutors must also prove intent for the murder counts and support the special circumstance allegations of lying in wait and multiple murders. Those allegations carry severe sentencing consequences if Williams is convicted.
For Edwards’ family, the legal questions came after immediate practical and emotional ones. They had to remain in San Diego after a trip turned into a death investigation. They faced funeral planning, hospital updates and court dates while still processing the loss of a teenager and then her infant daughter. Friends described Edwards as loving and bright. One friend said she had become quieter while dealing with Williams. Another account described the flowers as the detail that made the shooting feel especially cruel.
Williams is being held without bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 23, when a judge will hear evidence and decide whether the prosecution can move forward toward trial.
Author note: Last updated June 29, 2026.