Florida man facing felony charges after shooting childhood friend in face at Orlando Wawa, deputies say

Woman shot in face by childhood friend: What happened?

Loved ones are speaking out after an Orlando woman was shot in the face outside a Wawa in Orange County. Investigators said the alleged shooter was someone the victim had known since childhood. The suspect has been arrested and is now facing multiple felony charges.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - A woman who was shot after offering her childhood friend a ride at a Wawa gas station is suffering from severe injuries to her face. 

Jelisa Rivera was shot in the cheek by her childhood friend at a Wawa in Orlando, officials say. 

What we know:

The evening of Feb. 1 began normally for Alana Rosado and her girlfriend, Jelisa Rivera. While stopping at an Orange County Wawa to put air in the car's tires, Rivera spotted a man standing outside in the cold. She recognized him as her childhood friend. 

When Rivera rolled down her window to offer the man a ride, deputies said the man turned toward the car and fired three to five shots at the car. 

Multiple bullet holes also pierced the frame of Rosado’s car and Rivera was hit. 

Alana Rosado was driving with her girlfriend, Jelisa Rivera, when Rivera's childhood friend shot her, she said. 

FOX 35's Alexus Cleavenger spoke with Alana Rosado about the incident. 

Rivera was hit in the cheek. She wasn't able to speak, deputies said. 

Deputies also said a third victim was in the back seat. 

A picture of the victims' car. 

The Suspect: A childhood friend

The man behind the trigger has been identified as Jameson Delva. 

Rivera has known Delva since middle school, deputies said. The two grew up in the same neighborhood and even walked to school together as children.

Though Delva had been wearing a mask, Rivera said he's always wearing the same clothes. 

Deputies eventually tracked Delva to a residence in Orange County, where he was arrested. Delva reportedly hugged his brother and said, "I messed up. I love you."

In searching the home, deputies found a sweatshirt and pants that the suspect in Wawa's surveillance video was wearing. 

Delva is currently facing several felony charges, including: attempted second-degree murder with a firearm, two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and shooting into an occupied vehicle.

Court records show that Delva has entered a written plea of not guilty.

A suspect shot at his childhood friend at a Wawa in Orlando. 

The road to recovery

While an arrest has been made, the physical and emotional toll on Rivera is immense. When deputies initially interviewed Rivera, she was in the neuro trauma ICU. 

The shooting left her with a shattered jaw. Additionally, doctors have been forced to leave the bullet inside her head because it is lodged too close to her spine to safely remove.

Community support

What you can do:

Friends and coworkers are now rallying to support the couple as Rivera begins a long and difficult recovery process.

"At work, we just all feel so sad for them," said friend Lucero Rodriguez. "We feel like the least we could do as a community is to support the both of them."

Loved ones are currently asking for prayers and community assistance as they navigate the medical bills and trauma following the attack. A GoFundMe has been created for Rivera's hospital expenses and recovery.