Dad poses as daughter, 11, to lure alleged rapist to home and shoot him
A father has been accused of shooting his daughter's alleged rapist twice after luring him to his home by posing as her on social media.
Malik Chandler, 31, is said to have pretended to be his 11-year-old daughter on TikTok and convinced Diego Montoya Gonzalez to visit his Grove City, Ohio, property, where he allegedly shot him on 16 July just after 6pm.
Prosecutors said the girl's mother had found a video on her daughter's phone the previous day that allegedly depicted Montoya Gonzalez assaulting the girl in their home, according to WNBS.
Montoya Gonzalez has denied the claim.
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As reported by ABC6, neighbour Terrie Shirkey said: "When the police showed up, they ran there, and I could not believe [it]. I wouldn't suspect that somebody else, not them.
"I can see why he went after him. I'm not saying it's right, but that at least makes some sense. It wasn't a senseless thing. If it's not, that means we've got a predator, and that scares the c**p out of me."
Chandler told investigators he had initially intended to beat up Montoya Gonzalez without using a weapon and hold him while he called the police and waited for them to come and arrest him, per court records.
However, according to police, he said he thought he saw Montoya Gonzalez reaching for a gun in his pocket, so he grabbed his own gun and pulled the trigger.
Shirkey added: "[Chandler] had checked the phone and he saw texts.
"Whatever he saw on the phone, he just couldn't calm down. He just kept pacing, pacing."
WHIO reports police arrived at the scene to find Montoya Gonzalez sitting in a chair having suffered two gunshot wounds, which he was then transferred to Grant Medical Centre in Columbus for treatment.
Yet, Montoya Gonzalez survived.
The charges against Montoya Gonzalez and Chandler
Charged with a felony assault, the father's bond was set at $100,000 (£74,200).
Montoya Gonzalez was indicted by a grand jury on Friday (31 July), on two counts of rape, five counts of pandering sexually oriented material and a single count of obstruction of official business.
He was then arraigned on Monday (3 August), as the girl's parents watched on in the Franklin County Common Pleas Courtroom, where Montoya Gonzalez pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
A judge set a $50,000 (£37,000) cash bond or a $20,000 (£14,800) recognisance bond.
Prosecutors have alleged they found several videos on Montoya Gonzalez's phone of children being sexually abused, including one of an infant or toddler.
If he is released from jail, he has been banned from the internet for everything apart from if he has to use it for work and has been ordered to have no contact with the victim and her family.
LADbible Group has approached the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office for comment.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact the Rape Crisis England and Wales helpline on 0808 500 222, available 24/7. If you are currently in danger or need urgent medical attention, you should call 999.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 10am-8pm Monday to Friday. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111, 24/7.
Daniel Murphy