Trevon Williams has pleaded not guilty in the deaths of Jariah Edwards and their daughter.
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Prosecutors have filed a second murder count against an Arizona man accused of shooting 17-year-old Jariah Edwards, adding the death of her newborn daughter to a case that began outside a San Diego vacation rental.
The amended complaint marks the most serious turn in the prosecution of Trevon Williams, 21, who is accused of killing Edwards after she traveled from Arizona to San Diego with family. Her baby, delivered after the shooting at 32 weeks, died days later. Williams has pleaded not guilty. He remains jailed without bail as the case moves toward a preliminary hearing in July.
The new count was filed after the child, identified in the complaint as Riyary E., died at a hospital on June 7. Police said the infant had suffered a severe hypoxic brain injury after Edwards was shot in the head early May 30. Doctors performed an emergency cesarean section after paramedics brought Edwards to the hospital from the 4900 block of Gardena Avenue. The child initially remained alive in critical condition, giving investigators and prosecutors a second timeline to track alongside the murder investigation into Edwards’ death.
Williams returned to court June 16 and pleaded not guilty to the updated complaint. The case now includes two murder counts, a felony count of possession of a machine gun and special circumstance allegations. Prosecutors say the special circumstances include lying in wait and multiple murders. Those allegations, if upheld, could make Williams eligible for life in prison without parole or the death penalty, depending on decisions made later by the district attorney’s office and the court.
The first public account came from San Diego police hours after the shooting. Dispatchers received multiple 911 calls at about 1:10 a.m. Officers arrived within minutes and found Edwards unresponsive outside the rental home. Police said she had a gunshot wound to the head and was approximately 32 weeks pregnant. Officers began emergency care for both Edwards and the unborn child before paramedics took her to a hospital. Edwards died despite those efforts.
The prosecution’s version adds details about planning. Deputy District Attorney Alexandra Lorens said Williams learned Edwards was staying in San Diego, ordered a Lyft from Arizona and got out several houses away from the Airbnb. Lorens said he hid near the house and used delivery orders as part of the alleged ambush. She said he had flowers delivered first, but Edwards came outside with a family member. Prosecutors say he did not shoot then. They allege he later ordered a vase, waited until Edwards came out alone and shot her.
After the gunfire, police say Williams ran into a nearby canyon. Prosecutors allege he changed clothes before hiding. Officers found him at about 3 a.m. near 4900 September Street, less than two hours after the first 911 calls. Police said a semi-automatic handgun was recovered when he was arrested. Investigators have not released a complete public account of forensic testing, ballistics work or how the firearm will be used at trial.
Lorens also told the court about an alleged recording. Prosecutors say Williams made an audio statement after the shooting in which he said he had shot Edwards in the face and killed her. The full recording has not been made public. Prosecutors cited it while arguing the shooting was not sudden or accidental. Williams’ plea leaves those claims unresolved for now. At later hearings, the defense may challenge how the recording was obtained, who received it or whether it fairly represents what happened.
The case has a complicated age record. San Diego police first identified Williams as 19 in the initial news release. Jail and court accounts have listed him as 21. Prosecutors in later hearings used 21, and the amended court reporting identifies him that way. Edwards’ age has been consistent across family accounts and police reports. She was 17 and visiting from Arizona when she was killed.
Prosecutors say Williams was the father of Riyary. That point matters because the amended case links the same alleged act to both deaths. At the first arraignment, Lorens said the baby was delivered with minimal brain activity because of the oxygen loss suffered after Edwards was shot. The child’s death days later changed the legal posture from an attempted murder count involving the fetus to a second murder count involving a child who had been born alive and later died.
The defense has not publicly laid out a full account of the case. Williams’ not guilty pleas mean the prosecution must prove the charges in court, including identity, intent, causation and the weapon allegations. A judge will first decide at a preliminary hearing whether prosecutors have presented enough evidence for the case to continue. That hearing is not a trial. It is a screening step that can include testimony from officers, detectives, medical witnesses and people who heard or saw parts of the events.
Edwards’ relatives attended the early hearings downtown, where local reporters described an emotional courtroom. Family members had already faced a rapid series of events: the trip to California, the shooting outside the rental, Edwards’ death, the emergency birth, the infant’s life support and then the baby’s death. Friends said Edwards had been excited about becoming a mother and had begun looking ahead to life with her daughter. Those memories now sit beside court language about charges, special circumstances and custody status.
The next major step is the July 23 preliminary hearing. Williams remains held without bail, and prosecutors are expected to present the evidence they say supports two murder counts and the weapons charge.
Author note: Last updated June 29, 2026.