By admin 
BUCKEYE, AZ (AZFamily) — A second suspect has been arrested in connection with the deadly shooting of a pregnant teenager in a Buckeye neighborhood last week, accused of helping the alleged shooter evade police.
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Buckeye police announced that Antonio Tequida, 19, was taken into custody on a charge of hindering prosecution.
Michael Sanchez, 18, is accused of killing 16-year-old Rylee Montgomery and injuring two of her friends in the shooting near Broadway Road and Miller Road on Thursday night. Police say Tequida drove Sanchez to the Buckeye neighborhood leading up to the shooting.
Court documents state surveillance video showed a gray Chrysler 300 driving into the Westpark neighborhood. Two men were seen on video walking away from the vehicle and toward the three victims.
Sanchez’s ankle monitor data showed that he went back to the area where he was dropped off and then left the area. An intersection camera captured the same Chrysler leaving the neighborhood.
Two of Montgomery’s friends, a pregnant 17-year-old girl and a 22-year-old woman, were also struck by gunfire and hospitalized. The other teen reportedly had an emergency C-section, and her child was stabilized and placed in the NICU.
All three of the surviving victims are fighting for their lives.
“Baby is one pound. Fighting for his life, little boy,” said Amy Montgomery, Rylee’s stepmother.
A family member said Sanchez hated Montgomery’s other pregnant friend because she tried to break them up. After the murder, investigators say Tequida drove Sanchez to a friend’s house to hide from the police.
Buckeye police and U.S. Marshals arrested Tequida on Sunday at a home in Avondale.
In an interview with police, Tequida reportedly admitted that he drove Sanchez to the area to see Montgomery because the two were arguing. Court documents state he also admitted to driving Sanchez away from the crime scene and dropping him off at a friend’s home, but didn’t know what Sanchez did with the gun.
Montgomery’s family says Sanchez was her on-again, off-again boyfriend who had a history of domestic violence.
Homicides do not happen often in Buckeye. Officials said this is the first murder in the city since 2024 and that year, there were two.
“He’s psychotic. But she just would never, she couldn’t stay away. She felt obligated to…’well, he’s my baby’s father,’” said Amy.
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In April, Buckeye police received reports that Montgomery had been assaulted by Sanchez several weeks prior. At that time, police interviewed both Montgomery and Sanchez, who both “gave conflicting accounts” on what happened. Police say investigators weren’t able to establish probable cause to make an arrest.
Authorities also investigated an incident in Avondale where Sanchez reportedly pointed a gun at Montgomery. Avondale police determined there was not enough evidence to support a charge in that case.
A week after turning 18 in March, Sanchez was arrested for speeding away from police, crashing his car while under the influence, and then running away after a road rage incident. Court documents reveal Montgomery came to pick him up after the wreck despite a recent break-up.
“I even told her a month ago to stop talking to him because I was not going to bury her,” said Amy.
Montgomery’s family is frustrated. They feel police did not take their concerns seriously when they called asking for help protecting their daughter. However, Amy says the motive for the murder is clear.
“All because he didn’t want her to have the baby and he didn’t like who she was talking to,” she said.
“It’s a whole fatal attraction that, you know, nobody else could have her. If he couldn’t have her, nobody was going to have her. He was very controlling,” she added.
Tequida is being held on a $100,000 bond. Sanchez is facing two counts of first-degree murder, endangerment and interference with a monitor device. He is being held without bond.
Family says Montgomery was pregnant with a baby girl. A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise money for her family.
Arizona’s Family has requested the police reports about the prior domestic violence cases.
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