The San Diego investigation now centers on two deaths, delivery records and alleged planning.
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — San Diego police say a late-night search moved from a Bay Park vacation rental to a nearby canyon, where officers arrested the Arizona man now charged with killing Jariah Edwards and her baby.
The investigation began with 911 calls, a wounded pregnant teenager and a short-term rental on Gardena Avenue. It now includes two murder counts, a weapons charge, claims of delivery orders used as bait and a court fight over whether prosecutors can prove lying in wait. Trevon Williams, 21, has pleaded not guilty. He remains in custody without bail.
Dispatchers received multiple calls about a shooting at about 1:10 a.m. May 30 in the 4900 block of Gardena Avenue. Officers reached the scene within minutes and found Edwards, 17, suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. She was unresponsive and about 32 weeks pregnant. Police said officers started life-saving care for Edwards and the unborn child before paramedics took her to a hospital. Doctors performed an emergency cesarean section, but Edwards died at the hospital.
The location shaped the first phase of the case. Edwards had been visiting San Diego from Arizona with relatives and staying at a short-term vacation rental. Williams, also from Arizona, was not part of the family group, police said. Investigators learned he had traveled to San Diego separately and met Edwards outside the rental. The street, the rental property and the path toward the canyon became key areas for detectives as they processed evidence and interviewed witnesses.
Police found Williams at about 3 a.m. near 4900 September Street, close to Tecolote Canyon, and arrested him without incident. Officers recovered a semi-automatic handgun at the time of the arrest, according to police. Prosecutors later said Williams fled on foot after the shooting, changed clothes and hid. Those details could become important at later hearings because they may be used to argue consciousness of guilt, planning or an attempt to avoid capture.
The prosecution’s timeline begins earlier than the gunfire. Deputy District Attorney Alexandra Lorens said in court that Williams learned Edwards was on a family trip in San Diego and ordered a Lyft from Arizona. Lorens said the driver dropped him off several houses from the rental. Prosecutors allege Williams then hid near the side of the property and used delivery orders to draw Edwards outside instead of knocking on the door or entering the home.
The delivery sequence is central to the allegation of lying in wait. Lorens said Williams first sent flowers to the Airbnb. Edwards came out with a family member, and prosecutors say Williams did not attack. After she went back inside, Lorens said, Williams arranged a second order for a vase. Edwards came outside alone, and Williams shot her in the head, prosecutors allege. The court record available publicly does not yet show all delivery logs, rideshare data, phone records or surveillance footage that prosecutors may use to support that account.
The baby’s medical course added another investigative layer. The infant was delivered at 32 weeks and first listed in critical condition. Police later said she suffered a severe hypoxic brain injury. She died at a hospital June 7, about a week after the shooting. Prosecutors then filed a new complaint charging Williams with a second murder count in the child’s death. In court filings, the child was identified as Riyary E. Prosecutors have said Williams was the child’s father.
Williams was first accused of murder, attempted murder involving the fetus and weapons offenses. After the infant died, prosecutors reworked the complaint. The current case includes two murder counts and a felony count of possession of a machine gun. It also includes special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and lying in wait. If Williams is convicted of all charges and allegations, he could face life in prison without parole or the death penalty if prosecutors choose to seek it.
Investigators have not released every piece of physical evidence. The known items include the scene on Gardena Avenue, the location of the arrest near September Street, the recovered handgun and medical records tied to Edwards and the baby. Prosecutors have also referred to an alleged audio recording made after the shooting. Lorens said Williams stated in the recording that he had shot Edwards in the face and killed her. The full recording has not been released publicly, and its role at trial remains unsettled.
Witness accounts may also matter. Police said detectives were interviewing witnesses after the arrest. Relatives were at the rental, and prosecutors say at least one family member came outside with Edwards during the first delivery. Friends later said Edwards had been worried by Williams’ behavior and was not in contact with him. One friend said Edwards had become quiet and unlike herself while in the relationship. Those statements could guide investigators, though not every public account will become admissible evidence.
The defense has entered not guilty pleas and has not had a full trial forum to present its version. At a preliminary hearing, prosecutors will likely rely on officers, detectives, medical testimony and records from delivery and rideshare services to show probable cause. The defense can cross-examine witnesses and argue that the evidence does not support some or all charges. The judge’s decision will determine whether the case advances toward trial on the current complaint.
The next scheduled milestone is a July 23 preliminary hearing. Until then, Williams remains jailed without bail while detectives and prosecutors continue building the record around the shooting, the arrest and the baby’s death.
Author note: Last updated June 29, 2026.