Milpitas Teen Stabbed Eight Times, Killed Near High School Campus

Jarred Jon Banting Cavan walked to Milpitas High School on Tuesday afternoon to pick up his little brother. He never made it home.

The 17-year-old Milpitas resident was stabbed eight times during a brawl involving roughly 10 teenagers on the 240 block of Vienna Drive, just west of the high school campus, at approximately 3:50 p.m. Milpitas police received multiple calls and arrived in under three minutes, where officers found Jarred with apparent stab wounds and immediately began rendering aid. He was transported to a local hospital, where he died. His great uncle, Alberto Balili, confirmed the number of wounds to reporters.

Jarred was not enrolled at Milpitas High School. He had transferred to Calaveras Hills High School, a 107-student alternative campus within Milpitas Unified School District, and was weeks from graduating with plans to attend college. Tuesday, he was at Milpitas High simply to walk his younger sibling home. His aunt, Joanna Cavan, told reporters: "You know, he stayed out of trouble for a while now... [he was] a really, really good kid. Ready to gra[duate]."

A 17-year-old male suspect, also from Milpitas, remained seated at the scene after the fight and was taken into custody without incident. He was booked into Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall on charges of homicide and assault with a deadly weapon. The motive has not been established, and the investigation is ongoing.

A second victim, Jarred's girlfriend Raya, 17, was slashed on her hand while trying to shield him during the attack. She was treated at a local hospital and released. At a prayer vigil held at the corner of Vienna and Knollville Drive on Wednesday, April 1, Raya spoke publicly for the first time since the stabbing, as a growing makeshift memorial marked the spot where Jarred died.

MUSD Superintendent Cheryl Jordan issued a statement: "This news is profoundly sad and we grieve with our community. Our hearts go out to the family and friends during this difficult time." Jordan confirmed the stabbing did not occur on school property and said the district would make counselors and safe spaces available to students.

The killing comes roughly 13 months after 15-year-old David Gutierrez was fatally stabbed at Santana Row in San Jose on Valentine's Day 2025, a case in which five teenagers, including a 13-year-old, were arrested on suspicion of murder. Taken together, the two cases have deepened concern about after-school youth violence across the South Bay and the broader Bay Area.

In San Francisco, the Violence Reduction Initiative has taken a prevention-first approach since 2020, connecting high-risk individuals with mentorship, housing support, job training, and mental health services. An independent evaluation found that District 10 experienced a 50% greater reduction in homicides and non-fatal shootings compared to other districts during the intervention period. United Playaz, a San Francisco-based violence prevention and youth development organization, provides services to prepare vulnerable youth for higher education and employment and can be reached at unitedplayaz.org. The Community Youth Center of San Francisco serves underserved and culturally isolated youth at cycsf.org.

Anyone with information about Tuesday's stabbing is asked to call the Milpitas Police Department at (408) 586-2400.