Police say a 19-year-old drove the accused shooter to and from the scene where three women were shot.
BUCKEYE, Ariz. — A second man was indicted after police said he helped the accused gunman reach and flee a Buckeye shooting scene where a pregnant teen, two babies and another victim died.
The added charge against 19-year-old Antonio Tequida changed the shape of the case. Prosecutors still place Michael Sanchez, 18, at the center of the May 14 attack, accusing him of shooting 16-year-old Rylee Montgomery, another pregnant teen and a 22-year-old woman. But the indictment also alleges Tequida helped Sanchez after the gunfire by driving him away and helping him hide from officers.
Buckeye police first described a fast-moving scene with unanswered questions. Officers were called to Elwood Street near 257th Lane about 8:15 p.m. after reports of shots fired. They found three female victims outside a home. Montgomery died at the scene. The second pregnant teen and the 22-year-old woman were taken to a hospital in critical condition. Witness information placed two males running from the area before police arrived.
Investigators identified Sanchez over the next few hours. Police said he had been in a romantic relationship with Montgomery and that the victims and suspect knew each other. Officers traced him to a home in Avondale, where he was taken into custody with assistance from Avondale police and the U.S. Marshals Service. At that point, police had not publicly detailed the role of the second male seen leaving the area.
That changed after detectives developed information over the weekend following the shooting. Buckeye police said Tequida had driven Sanchez to the Elwood Street location before Sanchez allegedly shot Montgomery and the others. Police said Tequida then drove Sanchez to a friend’s house to hide from police. Tequida was arrested at a home in Avondale and booked on a hindering prosecution charge. Prosecutors later brought the case to a grand jury.
The grand jury indictment charges Tequida with one count of hindering prosecution in the first degree, a Class 3 felony. Prosecutors said he is being held on a $100,000 cash bond. Sanchez was indicted on eight felony counts, including 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. Sanchez is being held without bond.
The murder counts reflect more than the death first reported at the scene. Montgomery was pregnant, and prosecutors count her unborn child among the victims. The second pregnant teen, identified in local reports as Abby Krebs, survived but delivered her baby boy at 25 weeks after the shooting. The baby later died. The 22-year-old woman, identified in local reports as Myah Hembree, remained in severe condition after the attack, according to family statements reported locally.
Family members said the shooting followed months of fear in Montgomery’s relationship with Sanchez. Amy Montgomery, Rylee’s stepmother, said Sanchez became controlling after Rylee became pregnant and angry after she refused to end the pregnancy. She said he threatened Rylee, went through her phone and tried to keep her from ending the relationship. She also said Rylee received a threatening message with a gun photo hours before she was killed.
The family’s account has drawn attention to earlier police contact. Buckeye police said they learned of a separate allegation that Sanchez had threatened Montgomery with a gun in Avondale. Buckeye officers notified Avondale police, which investigated. Buckeye police later said investigators were unable to establish probable cause for an arrest before the fatal shooting. Authorities have not released the complete prior investigative file, and it remains unclear what evidence was available at that time.
The interference with monitoring devices charge against Sanchez adds another procedural issue. Local reports said Sanchez had been wearing an ankle monitor tied to a prior case. Prosecutors have not publicly laid out every detail behind the monitoring charge, including the exact time period, the device records or how that evidence connects to the shooting. Those questions are expected to be addressed through court filings, police reports and witness testimony as the case proceeds.
The scene itself sits in a growing West Valley city where new neighborhoods and desert roads meet. Police said the shooting happened outside a residence, not in a public venue or commercial area. That detail matters to investigators because witness statements, doorbell cameras, traffic cameras, cellphone data and nearby surveillance could help build a timeline of who arrived, who left and when the victims were shot.
Prosecutors will have to prove separate theories against the two defendants. For Sanchez, the state must prove the murder, attempted murder, assault and monitoring allegations beyond a reasonable doubt. For Tequida, the state must prove he knowingly helped Sanchez avoid arrest or prosecution. The charges are not the same, and the evidence for one defendant may not be identical to the evidence for the other.
For now, the case moves through Maricopa County Superior Court with Sanchez held without bond and Tequida held on a cash bond. Future hearings are expected to set deadlines for evidence, motions and trial planning, while Buckeye police continue to treat the investigation as active.
Author note: Last updated June 16, 2026.