Oakland man faces charges in SFSU student’s death

The man was arraigned on multiple charges in front of an Alameda County judge on March 8

Adriana Hernandez and Natalie Rocha • Mar 13, 2024

Khaia Ritter

Zoe Nika Reidy-Watts smiles for a photo. (Courtesy of Khaia Ritter)

An Oakland man has been charged with domestic violence and murder of a San Francisco State University student, according to County of Alameda public records.

Zoe Nika Reidy-Watts, a 25-year-old College of Liberal and Creative Arts student, was found by Oakland police in the home she cohabitated in with her boyfriend, Victor Tyrone Frieson III, on March 1 at 6:35 a.m.

Officer Makisig Sevilla said in the Probable Cause for Warrantless Arrest report that Reidy-Watts was unresponsive “and had numerous bruises all over her body and lacerations to her neck and cheek area.”

The Oakland Police Department pronounced her dead 12 minutes later and requested homicide investigators to assist.

A toxicology report for Reidy-Watts is still pending but authorities observed injuries sustained from blunt force trauma.

In the report, it was noted that Reidy-Watts was listed as a victim in a recent domestic violence and sexual assault report, with Frieson as the listed suspect.

The report said “based on the totality of the circumstances, evidence and witness statements,” police found there was enough probable cause to arrest Frieson for murder.

Frieson was arrested five days later, on March 6 at 2:09 p.m. in the Oakland Police Department.

Frieson’s plea hearing is set for April 10 at 9 a.m. in Oakland. He is being held at Alameda County Santa Rita Jail without bail, according to the Alameda County inmate locator.

Frieson, 27, has been a registered sex offender in Alameda County since 2020 for lewd acts with a minor. According to the County of Alameda District Attorney’s office, Frieson could be ineligible for probation.

Watts was a member of Youth Speaks, a spoken word poetry organization in San Francisco’s Mission District.

Khaia Ritter, who goes by Gaia, met Reidy-Watts in early 2015 when Watts started attending open mic nights hosted by Youth Speaks.

“She wanted people to connect to their hearts and to the planet with their art in every way, and she was always there to show up for others whenever she could,” Ritter said. “She was very driven in her community with regards to poetry and writing.”

Nick Homer, the deputy district attorney assigned to prosecute the case, declined to comment because the investigation was ongoing.

A celebration of Reidy-Watts’s life will be held on March 31 at the Alan Blueford Center for Justice, 2434 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, from 3-6 p.m., hosted by Jada Imani Carter, a high school friend of Reidy-Watts. There will be an altar, story circle and more.

This story has been updated on March 14, 2023.

About the Contributors

Adriana Hernandez, Editor-In-Chief

Adriana Hernandez (she/her) is the Editor-In-Chief for Golden Gate Xpress. She is majoring in journalism and minoring in media literacy. Adriana has a passion for storytelling, culture, art, and design. She previously wrote for The Skyline View, the student newspaper of Skyline College. In her downtime, she enjoys reading and watching films. For any inquiries, you can contact me at [email protected].

Natalie Rocha, Staff Reporter

Natalie Rocha (she/her) is a staff writer at Golden Gate Xpress. She’s a journalism major with a minor in international relations. She was born and raised in the Salinas Valley where her interest in reporting began and she transferred to SF State. Last semester, Natalie studied abroad in Denmark at the Danish School of Media and Journalism where she covered stories on crime and the EU. In her free time, Natalie enjoys eating food, spending time with her family and hanging out with friends.