A tragic shooting in San Diego has left a teenage mother and her newborn dead, according to police and family accounts. Authorities say 17-year-old Jariah Edwards, who was about 32 weeks pregnant, was shot in the head on May 30 in the 4900 block of Gardena Avenue after being lured outside the short-term rental where she was staying with family. First responders found her unresponsive around 1:10 a.m., and she was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Edwards, who was from Arizona, had traveled to San Diego with relatives. Doctors performed an emergency C-section as she was dying, delivering her baby, who was placed on life support. More than a week later, on June 7, the infant died. The cause of death was reported as severe hypoxic brain injury, a condition caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain.
San Diego police say Edwards’ ex-boyfriend, 21-year-old Trevon Williams, is accused of orchestrating the killing. Investigators allege that Williams traveled separately to San Diego by rideshare, used flowers to persuade Edwards to come out of the rental, then shot her before fleeing on foot into a nearby canyon. Police arrested him about two hours later, at roughly 3 a.m., following the shooting.
Williams is facing charges that include first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, possession or transportation of a machine gun, and discharge of a firearm. Prosecutors also reportedly have recordings in which Williams appears to confess. Court proceedings have further indicated that Edwards had planned to seek a restraining order against him before her death.
He is currently being held without bail at San Diego Central Jail. His next court hearing is scheduled for June 12.
The case has drawn attention not only because of the violent circumstances, but also because it underscores the risks faced by pregnant teens and young women in domestic violence situations. Authorities and family members are now left to mourn the deaths of both Edwards and her newborn, in a case that has shocked both San Diego and the victim’s home state of Arizona.
