Although her pregnancy was unplanned, Rylee Montgomery embraced the prospect of becoming a mother. Her family said the 16-year-old was killed by her boyfriend after refusing to have an abortion, in a shooting that also injured two others.
The May 14 killing in Buckeye came after weeks of fear, during which the boyfriend is accused of choking Rylee Montgomery and threatening to kill her, according to her father and stepmother, Eric Montgomery, 53, and Amy Montgomery, 52, who spoke with The Arizona Republic.
Michael Isiah Sanchez, 18, was arrested early May 15, according to the Buckeye Police Department. Court records show he faces seven felony charges in connection with the shooting, including two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder. Under Arizona law, the death of Rylee Montgomery’s unborn child is also being treated as a homicide. On Sunday, Antonio Tequida, 19, was arrested in Avondale, accused of driving Sanchez to the house where police say he fatally shot Montgomery and wounded a pregnant 17-year-old and a 22-year-old woman. Tequida drove Sanchez to a friend’s house to hide from police, according to police. HE was arrested in suspicion of hindering prosecution.
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A pregnant 16-year-old, Rylee Montgomery, was fatally shot May 14, in Buckeye, and her boyfriend was arrested on suspicion of murder.
"(Rylee) said, 'I'm going to do my best to raise my baby.' And it's just heartbreaking because we tried to get her out, and (police) told me to get a restraining order. That's a paper. Go get him," Amy Montgomery said, wiping away a tear as her voice shifted between grief and indignation.
Police in Avondale, where Sanchez lives, recommended seeking an order of protection against him, according to the Montgomerys.
Avondale police spokesperson Officer Daniel Benavidez wrote in a May 16 email that Rylee Montgomery reported Sanchez had pointed a firearm at her at an Avondale home, but that investigators did not find sufficient evidence. Benavidez did not address other allegations brought forth by the Montgomerys against Avondale police.
Parents: Little done on alleged threats
Rylee Montgomery's family only learned she was expecting a girl after the shooting. A gender reveal party was in the works for early June, Amy Montgomery shared. She added the baby's due date was Nov. 5, which is a day before Eric Montgomery's birthday. The teen had been pregnant for a little less than 14 weeks, according to her parents.
Buckeye police said Rylee Montgomery died at the scene.
Another pregnant teenager and a 22-year-old woman were also wounded in the shooting, which occurred about 8 p.m. in a residential neighborhood near Elwood Street and 257th Lane, according to police.
Carissa Planalp, a spokesperson for the Buckeye Police Department, said during a press briefing the night of the shooting that both survivors “might have a long road of recovery ahead of them.”
Rylee Montgomery's stepmother, Amy Montgomery, recalls the last times she saw her stepdaughter. Rylee's boyfriend is accused of fatally shooting her.
A fresh coat of what appeared to be paint could be seen on a small section of a sidewalk on the street where the 17-year-old victim's house stands. A neighbor, who shared she previously went to school with the girl, said the conspicuous spot was where gunfire broke out in the otherwise quiet street.
Amy Montgomery said the wounded girl was a friend whom Rylee Montgomery had been visiting. The 25-week-pregnant girl underwent an emergency delivery after the shooting, and both she and her baby boy survived, according to Amy Montgomery. Court records show that child endangerment is among the felony charges Sanchez is suspected of committing.
Rylee Montgomery called Avondale police about four hours before she was fatally shot and reported Sanchez threatening with killing her, according to Amy Montgomery. The woman shared a photo with The Republic that she said the girl told her she received via text from the suspect — a close-up selfie of his face as he appears to hold a handgun to his temple.
"We'll look it up and add it to the report," Amy Montgomery said that Avondale police told Rylee.
A recommendation for an order of protection came after Sanchez, on March 12, is accused of pulling a gun on Rylee Montgomery, according to Amy Montgomery. She showed The Republic a form filed on April 13 with a Buckeye police officer about an alleged aggravated assault. The form listed Sanchez as a suspect and named Rylee Montgomery as a victim.
Information on the case was forwarded to Avondale police and Rylee Montgomery spoke with detectives on April 22, according to Amy Montgomery. She said she printed 13 pages of text messages from Sanchez to Rylee Montgomery that appeared to show he repeatedly threatened the girl.
Nonetheless, the biggest traction Rylee Montgomery's parents said they got in a potential case against Sanchez was the restraining order of protection recommendation.
"They could have stopped it," Amy Montgomery said of the police regarding their actions ahead of the shooting, adding she believed that if they had been more responsive, "Our girl would still be right here with us."
Family: From 'nice guy' to 'psychotic'
Rylee Montgomery met Sanchez at a party in September.
Amy Montgomery said her first impression of Sanchez was that he was a "nice guy," who helped install a fence at a property the family is developing. "I thought, 'This is a good match for Rylee.' She seemed really happy with him."
Then in February, Rylee Montgomery learned she was pregnant. She and Sanchez, then 17, had unprotected sex earlier that month, and she feared Amy and Eric Montgomery would "hate" her, the girl's parents said.
"We're disappointed in your choices, but we don't hate you. We love you. We'll do everything we can to support you and the baby," Amy Montgomery said she told Rylee. "She didn't want to have an abortion. She said, 'I'm going to keep my baby.' He had other plans for her."
Sanchez swiftly took an ugly turn upon learning of the pregnancy, Rylee Montgomery's parents said.
"He was just psychotic," Amy Montgomery said of Sanchez's unraveling personality. "First thing he told her was 'You're gonna (expletive) kill it and she says, 'No, I am not.'"
Sanchez appeared to show no signs of emotion as a judge reviewed his charges on May 15 during an initial court appearance in Phoenix. The man simply asked Maricopa County Superior Court Commissioner Genene Dyer whether he could notify his parents about his next court appearance.
"Piece of crap," Amy Montgomery said under her breath while referencing the unsettling moment.
Dyer said Sanchez was ineligible for bond because he was already on release for a felony charge at the time of the shooting. Court records show he is charged with suspicion of unlawful flight from a pursuing law enforcement vehicle in a March 21 incident in Maricopa County.
According to court documents, he was released from custody a few days later.
Amy Montgomery said the incident occurred after Sanchez crashed a family member’s car while driving to confront Rylee Montgomery.
The Montgomery family said Sanchez was on house arrest at the time of his release and is accused of tampering with his ankle monitor in order to reach their daughter. The seventh felony charge he faces is interference with a monitoring device.
Court records show Sanchez is scheduled for a hearing on May 26. Judge Dyer sealed the probable cause statement in the case because some of the victims are minors. As of May 16, Sanchez remained in custody, according to jail records.
Victim was a 'beautiful soul'
Amy Montgomery still spoke in the present tense of the girl she met eight years ago and grew to see as her biological daughter.
"Rylee is a beautiful soul" who had love for her family, friends and her cats and dogs, Amy Montgomery said. "Rylee's a lover of hoodies in a 120-degree weather and pajama pants and just comfy clothes."
The youngest of four children, Rylee Montgomery, was preparing for her driver's license test in June. The homeschooled junior would turn 17 the month after.
A GoFundMe titled "A Heartfelt Farewell for Rylee and Her Baby Girl," was set up to help pay for funeral expenses.
The Montgomerys stood outside their home as the late evening sky darkened and they reflected on life without Rylee. They tried summoning the strength they saw their daughter display as she readied for teenage motherhood.
"This is what we have to deal with. That's just the way life works," Amy Montgomery said she told Rylee about her unplanned pregnancy.
She immediately followed up by calmly referring to herself and her husband: "We never thought we were gonna have to deal with this, but this is what we've been dealt and it's an awful hand."
