A 17-year-old pregnant girl in Arizona, identified as Abby, has lost her baby after being shot in the back by her best friend's boyfriend. The incident occurred on May 14 in Buckeye, near Phoenix. Abby was with her 16-year-old friend Rylee Montgomery, who was also pregnant, when both were shot.
The Shooting and Its Aftermath
Michael Isiah Sanchez, 18, allegedly shot the two pregnant girls after Montgomery refused to have an abortion. Abby and an unnamed 22-year-old woman survived the shooting, but Montgomery died at the scene. Abby's gunshot wound forced an emergency C-section at 25 weeks. The baby, named Timmothy Rylee in honor of Montgomery, initially survived but later died, according to officials. Police now recommend an additional homicide charge against Sanchez.
Family Claims Police Failed
Montgomery's family told AZ Central that they had reported Sanchez's threats to the Avondale Police multiple times, including just hours before the shooting. They were advised to obtain a protection order. The family believes police were slow to act, saying, 'They could have stopped it.' Sanchez is held without bond on two counts of first-degree murder, endangerment, and interference with a monitoring device.
Previous Incidents
Montgomery had filed a report against Sanchez on March 12 for pulling a gun on her, and on April 22 she provided detectives with a 13-page document of threatening text messages. Despite these reports, the family feels police did not do enough.
Family's Grief and Fundraiser
The family has started a GoFundMe for funeral expenses. They had planned a gender reveal party and only learned Montgomery was expecting a girl after her death. The baby would have been named Erica Kathleen. The family stated, 'Michael stole our girl and granddaughter from us. He broke our hearts completely.'
