An Ohio father who came across a video that purportedly depicted a 20-year-old man sexually assaulting his 11-year-old daughter decided to take matters into his own hands. He pretended to be his daughter online to entice the alleged perpetrator back to their residence, where he shot him twice.
Malik Chandler, 31, residing in Grove City, Ohio, was alerted to the supposed assault on July 15 when the mother of his daughter discovered the video.
The next day, using his daughter’s phone, Chandler reached out to the alleged assailant, Diego Montoya Gonzalez, through TikTok, masquerading as her to lure him back to their home.
According to Chandler’s statement to the police, his initial intention was to detain Gonzalez and physically confront him while awaiting law enforcement’s arrival. However, the situation escalated when Gonzalez purportedly attempted to draw a firearm from his pocket, prompting Chandler to shoot him twice.
When officers arrived, they found Gonzalez seated in a chair with two gunshot wounds. He was subsequently transported to Grant Medical Center in Columbus for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Chandler has been charged with felony assault, with his bond set at $100,000. In 2021, he faced charges for strangling his girlfriend until she lost consciousness, although that case was later dismissed.
Additionally, in 2017, he received a conviction for attempted breaking and entering, a misdemeanor in Ohio, which allowed him to legally possess a firearm at the time of the shooting.
Gonzalez also faced repercussions. A grand jury indicted him on five counts of pandering sexually explicit material, two counts of rape, and one count of obstructing official business.
Prosecutors indicated that numerous videos featuring the sexual abuse of children were discovered on his phone, including some involving infants or toddlers.
Once Gonzalez completes his prison sentence, he will be prohibited from contacting the victim or her family and will not be allowed to access the internet for any purpose other than work.
