A 16-year-old pregnant girl in Arizona was allegedly shot and killed by her 18-year-old boyfriend after she refused to have an abortion, according to her family.
Details of the Incident
Rylee Montgomery, from Buckeye near Phoenix, discovered she was pregnant in February. She was less than 14 weeks pregnant when she was fatally shot on Thursday. Her boyfriend, Michael Isiah Sanchez, 18, was arrested by Buckeye Police on Friday and charged with her murder and the death of her unborn child, as well as injuring two other women, including another pregnant teenager.
Family's Account
Montgomery's family told AZ Central that Sanchez had threatened to kill her before the shooting, including just hours beforehand, but police were slow to help. 'They could have stopped it,' her stepmother, Amy Montgomery, said. '[Sanchez] was just psychotic. First thing he told her was "You're gonna [expletive] kill it," and she says: "No, I am not."'
The Shooting
Montgomery was visiting friends at a home on Elwood Street when Sanchez allegedly shot her around 8pm on Thursday. She was pronounced dead at the scene. A 17-year-old pregnant girl and a 22-year-old woman were also injured. The 17-year-old, a friend of Montgomery, went into emergency delivery at 25 weeks and survived along with her newborn son. She was shot in the back and 'nearly bled out,' according to the family. The 22-year-old was shot three times.
Police Response Questioned
The Montgomery family said they repeatedly reported Sanchez to the Avondale Police Department but were only advised to get a restraining order. 'That's a paper,' Amy said. 'Go get him.' Four hours before the shooting, Montgomery called Avondale Police to report that Sanchez threatened to kill her and sent a photo of himself with a gun to his temple. Police said they would 'look it up and add it to the report.' Montgomery had also filed a report on March 12 accusing Sanchez of pulling a gun on her, and on April 22 she presented detectives with a 13-page document of threatening texts.
Suspect's Background
Sanchez appeared in court on Friday showing little emotion. He is being held without bond, as he was already on house arrest for a separate felony charge. The family accused him of tampering with his ankle monitor to reach Montgomery. He faces an additional charge for interfering with the monitoring device. He is due back in court on May 26.
Family's Grief
The family remembers Montgomery as a girl who 'saw the good in everyone.' She was a 'stuffie collector' and 'hoodie wearer even in 120F weather.' The family had been planning a gender reveal party for June; after her death, they learned she was expecting a girl, whom she planned to name Erica Kathleen. A GoFundMe page has raised nearly $5,000 of a $7,000 goal for funeral expenses.
The Daily Mail has contacted Avondale Police for comment.
