Authorities say an earlier allegation was investigated before a May attack killed a pregnant teen and two babies.
BUCKEYE, Ariz. — Police say they knew of an earlier allegation that Michael Sanchez threatened Rylee Montgomery with a gun before prosecutors accused him of killing the pregnant 16-year-old outside a Buckeye home.
The prior report has become one of the sharpest questions around the May 14 shooting. Montgomery’s family said Sanchez had threatened her before the attack. Buckeye police said officers learned of an alleged incident in Avondale and notified that city’s police department, which investigated. Buckeye police later said investigators did not establish probable cause for an arrest before the fatal shooting.
The shooting happened about 8:15 p.m. near Elwood Street and 257th Lane. Officers responding to reports of gunfire found Montgomery, another pregnant teenager and a 22-year-old woman outside a home. Montgomery died there. The other two victims were rushed to a hospital in critical condition. Police said two males were seen running from the scene before officers arrived, and investigators believed the victims and suspect knew each other.
Within hours, detectives identified Sanchez, then 18, as the suspected shooter. Police said he had been in a romantic relationship with Montgomery. Officers found him at a home in Avondale and arrested him with help from Avondale police and the U.S. Marshals Service. Buckeye police later said detectives developed information that 19-year-old Antonio Tequida had driven Sanchez to the Elwood Street location and then helped him leave and hide after the shooting.
The family’s account describes a relationship that worsened after Montgomery became pregnant. Amy Montgomery, Rylee’s stepmother, said Sanchez became angry when Rylee refused to end the pregnancy and later tried to stop her from leaving the relationship. Relatives said he monitored her phone, deleted contacts and made threats. They also said he had pointed a gun at her during the earlier Avondale incident. Police have not released all reports tied to those allegations.
Amy Montgomery said the final threat came the same day Rylee was killed. She said Sanchez sent a photo of himself with a gun and a message saying he was going to get Rylee and then take care of himself. “They called the police and told them about the alleged threat,” she said after the shooting. “And that was the last I heard from her.” She said Rylee was dead about three hours later.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office has moved the case into felony prosecution through a grand jury indictment. Sanchez is charged with three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault and one count of interference with monitoring devices. Prosecutors described some counts as dangerous felonies, domestic violence felonies and dangerous crimes against children. Sanchez is being held without bond.
Tequida’s charge focuses on what prosecutors say happened after the gunfire, not on firing the shots. He was indicted on one count of hindering prosecution in the first degree. Buckeye police said he drove Sanchez away from the crime scene and took him to a friend’s house to hide from police. Tequida was arrested in Avondale with help from the U.S. Marshals Service and was held on a $100,000 cash bond.
The indictment also reflects the medical toll beyond Montgomery’s death. The second pregnant victim, identified in local reports as Abby Krebs, survived the shooting but delivered a baby boy at 25 weeks. That baby later died. The 22-year-old victim, identified in local reports as Myah Hembree, remained in serious condition after the attack. Prosecutors’ three murder counts name deaths tied to Montgomery, her unborn child and the second baby.
Several details remain public only in broad outline. Authorities have not released a full account of the earlier Avondale investigation, the specific reason an arrest was not made, whether a weapon was recovered after the Buckeye shooting or what electronic records investigators collected. The interference with monitoring devices charge indicates prosecutors believe an ankle monitor or similar device is part of the case, but the full evidence remains subject to court proceedings.
Law enforcement agencies have framed the case as an active investigation, while prosecutors have emphasized the formal charges now before the court. Buckeye police first announced Sanchez’s arrest the day after the shooting and Tequida’s arrest several days later. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office later announced the indictment and said both defendants are accused under Arizona law. The office also noted that charges are accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless proved guilty.
Montgomery’s relatives have continued to speak publicly about the warnings they say came before the shooting. Amy Montgomery said the family tried to get Rylee help and believed Sanchez was dangerous. She also said one of Rylee’s friends had tried to separate the couple, which the family believes made her a target. Police have not confirmed every detail of the family’s account, and the motive alleged by relatives will have to be tested against evidence in court.
The next stage is expected to unfold in Maricopa County Superior Court through evidence disclosures, hearings and motions. The questions surrounding prior reports, electronic monitoring and the alleged getaway are likely to shape both the prosecution and the defense as the case moves toward trial.
Author note: Last updated June 16, 2026.