A 17-year-old girl from Arizona was shot and killed during a family trip to San Diego after her ex-boyfriend allegedly used a bouquet of flowers to coax her outside her rental home.
Police say 21-year-old Trevon Williams showed up at the rental around 1 a.m. on Saturday. A friend of the victim told AZFamily that Williams lured Jariah Edwards, who was eight months pregnant, out of the house with flowers before shooting her in the head. He then ran away on foot toward a nearby canyon.
Officers rushed to the scene after receiving several 911 calls. They found the teenager unresponsive with a gunshot wound. Edwards was quickly taken to a local hospital where doctors performed an emergency C-section to deliver her baby. Edwards did not survive her injuries, and her family told 12 News she died before getting the chance to hold or name her daughter. Authorities said the infant remains in critical condition.
Shortly after the shooting, police found Williams hiding in the nearby canyon and arrested him without a struggle. Officers also recovered a semiautomatic handgun at the time of the arrest. Williams was booked into the San Diego County jail on suspicion of murder. Investigators say they are still looking into the case and have not yet shared a possible motive for the attack.
A GoFundMe campaign was set up to help the family cover funeral costs and medical bills for the newborn. As of Tuesday morning, it had raised over $5,800 toward an $8,000 goal.
“Jariah Edwards was a bright, loving young woman who was just 17 years old and preparing to welcome her first child, a baby girl. She was surrounded by family and friends who cherished her deeply,” the fundraising page stated.
The campaign description continued: “Tragically, while on a family trip, Jariah was tracked down by her ex-boyfriend and lost her life to senseless violence. Her passing has left a hole in the hearts of her mother, sister, family, friends, and most importantly, her newborn baby girl, who is now fighting for her life.”
Speaking to 12 News, the victim’s aunt shared a brief message about her niece’s memory.
“Her legacy is that her daughter is going to be everything she wanted to be and so much more, and she should be proud of that,” she said.
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