Father Lures Alleged Child Molester to Ohio Home and Fires Shots After Seeing Video
After a mother discovered disturbing videos of an alleged assault on her 11-year-old daughter, the child's father pretended to be his daughter on TikTok, drew the suspect to their Grove City home and shot him. Police arrested the father on felonious assault and weapon-under-disability charges.
Police in Grove City, Ohio, were dispatched on July 15 after a mother reported that her 11-year-old daughter had been sexually assaulted, citing video evidence found on the child's phone. The alleged perpetrator, Diego Montoya Gonzalez, was later identified and charged with rape and related offenses. In an effort to confront him, the child's father created a fake TikTok profile posing as his daughter and invited Gonzalez to the family's home, where he opened fire, striking Gonzalez twice.
The father told investigators he only meant to assault the suspect and call police, but claimed the suspect's attempt to draw a weapon triggered the shooting. Gonzalez was subsequently arrested, pleaded not guilty, and received a recognizance bond with strict conditions. The father was charged with felonious assault and weapon-under-disability, and is being held on a $100,000 bond. A neighbor, Terrie Shirkey, described the father's visible distress after learning of the videos.
Why it matters
The case highlights extreme vigilante actions in response to child sexual abuse allegations and raises questions about legal limits of self-defense.
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