Rylee Montgomery’s family said warning signs came before the May shooting that killed her and two babies.
BUCKEYE, Ariz. — Rylee Montgomery was weeks from milestones her family expected to see, including a driver’s license, a job and a gender reveal, when police say her ex-boyfriend opened fire outside a Buckeye home.
The death of the pregnant 16-year-old has become a criminal case involving three murder counts, two wounded women, a second defendant and questions about reports made before the attack. Prosecutors say Michael Sanchez, 18, killed Montgomery and her unborn child on May 14 and shot two others. One surviving victim later lost her newborn son after an emergency delivery. Sanchez has been indicted and is being held without bond.
Family members have placed Montgomery’s life at the center of the case. They said she had been excited about becoming a mother and had talked about a baby girl. They also said the relationship with Sanchez had become abusive after she became pregnant in February. Amy Montgomery, Rylee’s stepmother, said the family believed Sanchez tried to control who Rylee spoke with, threatened her and grew angry when she refused to end the pregnancy.
The night of the shooting began at a home on Elwood Street near 257th Lane, where Montgomery was with a 17-year-old pregnant friend and a 22-year-old woman. Police were called to the area about 8:15 p.m. Officers found all three with gunshot wounds. Montgomery died at the scene. The two other women were taken to the hospital in critical condition. Police said the shooting happened outside the residence and that two males were seen running away before officers arrived.
The second pregnant victim has been identified in local reports as Abby Krebs, Montgomery’s close friend. She survived but delivered her baby boy at 25 weeks after being shot. The baby later died. The 22-year-old victim has been identified in local reports as Myah Hembree. Her family said she remained in intensive medical care after the attack. The indictment filed against Sanchez includes charges tied to the deaths of Montgomery, Montgomery’s unborn child and the second baby.
Montgomery’s family said the violence followed earlier threats. Amy Montgomery said one message came hours before the shooting and included a photo of Sanchez with a gun. She said the message stated 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 in an interview after the shooting. She said that was the last she heard from Rylee before learning she had been killed.
Buckeye police said investigators were aware of a separate alleged incident in Avondale in which Sanchez was accused of threatening Montgomery with a gun. Police said Buckeye officers contacted Avondale police, and Avondale police investigated that allegation. Buckeye police later said investigators could not establish probable cause for an arrest in that earlier matter. The agencies have not released every report, statement or piece of evidence tied to the prior threat allegations.
After the shooting, police said detectives worked through the night to identify Sanchez as the suspected shooter. They found him at a home in Avondale and arrested him with help from Avondale police and the U.S. Marshals Service. Investigators later arrested 19-year-old Antonio Tequida, who they said drove Sanchez to the Elwood Street location and then drove him away to hide at another home. Tequida has been indicted on a hindering prosecution charge.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said Sanchez was indicted on eight felony counts. The list includes three first-degree murder counts, two attempted first-degree murder counts, two aggravated assault counts and one interference with monitoring devices count. Prosecutors said Tequida is charged separately with hindering prosecution in the first degree. Sanchez is being held without bond, while Tequida’s bond was set at $100,000 cash. Both men are presumed innocent unless convicted.
The case also touches an earlier court matter involving Sanchez. Local reports said he had been wearing an ankle monitor at the time of the Buckeye shooting because of a prior incident. Prosecutors charged him in the new case with interference with monitoring devices. Authorities have not released a full public timeline showing his location through the day, when the alleged monitor issue occurred or how investigators used electronic records after the shooting.
For Montgomery’s family, the legal case has moved forward while funeral plans and grief have unfolded in public. Relatives said the teen was remembered as a daughter, granddaughter and mother-to-be, not only as a victim named in court papers. “Our sweet girl fell victim to a controlling boy,” the family wrote in a public fundraiser. Amy Montgomery said the family had tried to protect Rylee and still wants to know whether anything more could have been done.
Police have not announced that the investigation is closed. The next phase is expected to focus on discovery, medical records, witness statements, electronic evidence and the court schedule for both defendants. The case is now pending in Maricopa County Superior Court, where prosecutors must turn over evidence and defense attorneys may file motions before any trial.
Author note: Last updated June 16, 2026.