Two charged with killing 19-year-old woman on her steps in North Philly

A 25-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy were charged Friday in the death of Yaniyah Foster, 19, who was fatally shot Wednesday as she sat on the front steps of her North Philadelphia home.

Charles Davis, 25, and Joel Saint-Fort, 16, were charged Friday with murder and related crimes for allegedly firing at a group of people outside Foster’s house on the 1000 block of West Thompson Street.

Foster, a 2019 graduate of Ben Franklin High School who worked at the Center City restaurant Kanella Grill, was struck in the head during the shootout, police said. A 23-year-old man was shot in a foot.

Two others were shot and injured during the incident, one of them a 25-year-old bystander struck in the head as he sat in his car. Police have not disclosed a motive.

Foster’s killing came amid a deadly start to the year in Philadelphia. As of Thursday, police statistics show, 52 people have been slain since Jan. 1, the highest year-to-date total since 2011.

The shooting incident on Thompson began around 3:37 p.m. Wednesday. Davis and Saint-Fort allegedly opened fire after walking south on 11th Street and seeing a group of people gathered outside Foster’s house.

Someone in Foster’s group then chased after the gunmen and returned fire, police said. Davis was shot in an arm, and the 25-year-old man was shot in the head. He was taken to Temple University Hospital in critical condition but was expected to survive.

After the shootout, Davis and Saint-John drove to the same hospital as the other three victims to seek treatment for Davis. Investigators found two guns in the car the men drove, and they were the same caliber as the bullets found at the scene, according to Smith.

Foster’s mother was devastated by the shooting, describing her daughter as loving, caring, and one of four siblings.

It was not clear Friday whether Davis or Saint-Fort had attorneys. They remained in custody without bail.