In a chilling crime that has sent shockwaves through the community, prosecutors in Oklahoma are pushing for the death penalty for Anthony Gonzalez, a 24-year-old accused of a brutal murder. Gonzalez is charged with the cold-blooded killing of a teenage 7-Eleven clerk, who was also a new mother, during a late-night robbery that yielded him less than $40.

The victim, Jaedynn Anthony, was an 18-year-old mother working the graveyard shift at a 7-Eleven in Oklahoma City when the tragic incident occurred in October 2024. According to police reports, Gonzalez entered the store, committed the robbery, and then stabbed Anthony, leaving her to die before making his escape with a meager sum from the cash register.

“After securing the money, Gonzalez stabbed Jaedynn once and fled the scene,” noted the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office in a recent press release. When officers arrived at the scene around 2:45 a.m., they discovered Anthony had already succumbed to her injuries.

Authorities detailed that customers, upon entering the 7-Eleven, found Anthony in critical condition, struggling for her life. The police statement described the assailant as an unknown individual who entered the store and, without apparent provocation, attacked the young mother before fleeing on foot. The senseless nature of the crime has enraged and saddened many, with calls for justice growing louder.

Police said after the stabbing that patrons arrived at the 7-Eleven and found Anthony “in medical distress” and dying. “It was learned an unknown person entered the store, and for whatever reason stabbed Ms. Anthony before fleeing on foot,” cops reported.

Surveillance video from the convenience store showed Gonzalez entering and saying hello to Anthony before pretending to want to buy something from behind the counter.

“She said hi to him, and he said hi to her when he came in the door,” said Somer Goodgion, Anthony’s cousin, in an interview with local CBS affiliate KWTV. “The audacity the man had to say hi to her knowing what you’re about to do this young baby.”

Gonzalez allegedly ordered Anthony to open up the cash register after exchanging words with her and then stabbed her “once the till was open” before fleeing the 7-Eleven, according to police. He was on the run for several days before being arrested by Oklahoma City Police and U.S. Marshals task force members.

“I hope you die in horrible pain,” Goodgion told KWTV after Gonzalez’s arrest. “As you’re dying I hope you see my cousin’s face and you see her son’s face, and what you’ve taken from her.”

A GoFundMe launched for Anthony’s family describes the teen as a “bright light” who left behind a “precious 1-year-old” named Brayden.

Goodgion told KWTV that Anthony was “not allowed to have” a phone while working. She had purchased pepper spray to help protect herself, but that was it.

“What do you give these people to protect themselves?” he asked.

The DA’s office said the reasoning for seeking the death penalty against Gonzalez had to do with his attack being “especially heinous” and “cruel,” which the office describes as aggravating circumstances that led to the decision.

“Our office treats the decision to seek the death penalty with the utmost seriousness,” said DA Vicki Zemp Behenna. “It is never made lightly and never made in haste. This determination is based on a careful review of the facts, the law, and extensive discussion with experienced prosecutors in my office. Based on that process and the evidence in this case, we believe seeking the death penalty is appropriate.”

Gonzalez had a preliminary hearing on charges of first-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon. He was bound over to stand trial and remains in custody on a $10 million bond, with his next court date scheduled for April 1.