Michael Sanchez, 18, was wearing an ankle monitor when police say he shot three females outside a Buckeye home.
BUCKEYE, AZ — An 18-year-old man accused in a Buckeye triple shooting that killed his pregnant teenage girlfriend and her unborn child had been on police radar for months, court and police records show.
Michael Sanchez is facing felony charges, including first-degree murder, after police said he opened fire Thursday night outside a home near Elwood Street and 257th Lane. The case has drawn new attention to earlier reports involving Sanchez, including allegations of violence, drug and alcohol use, fleeing police and threats against 16-year-old Rylee Montgomery before she was killed.
Buckeye police said officers were called about 8:15 p.m. Thursday after reports of shots fired in the Westpark neighborhood. When officers arrived, they found three female victims with gunshot wounds outside a home. Montgomery, who was pregnant, died at the scene. A 17-year-old pregnant girl and a 22-year-old woman were taken to a hospital in critical condition. Police said initial information showed two males ran from the area before officers arrived and that the victims and suspect knew each other. Investigators later identified Sanchez, who had been in a romantic relationship with Montgomery, as the suspected shooter. “The victims and suspect knew each other,” Buckeye police said in an early statement on the case.
Police tracked Sanchez to a home in Avondale and arrested him Friday morning with help from the U.S. Marshals Service and Avondale police. He was booked on multiple felony counts. Officials have not said whether another person who was seen running from the scene is still being sought, and police have not released a full account of what happened in the moments before the shooting. The 17-year-old victim later gave birth prematurely while hospitalized, according to family accounts shared in public fundraising posts. The baby’s condition and the conditions of the two surviving victims were not fully detailed in police statements. Authorities have said the investigation remains active.
Records reviewed by local reporters show Sanchez was already wearing an ankle monitor at the time of the shooting because of an earlier case from March. In that case, police said Sanchez was accused of driving recklessly while under the influence of alcohol and drugs in Buckeye. When officers tried to stop him, records say, he got out of the vehicle and ran. The records also mention a girlfriend who came to the scene. Montgomery’s family said that person was Rylee. According to those records, Montgomery told officers Sanchez was under the influence because she had broken up with him.
The records also show a February report that later became a focus of the case. Avondale police said they received a report from Buckeye police three weeks before the shooting about an alleged aggravated assault at a home in Avondale. Montgomery had told officers Sanchez pointed a gun at her. Police later said there was not enough evidence to support a charge in that matter. Amy Montgomery, Rylee’s stepmother, said the family had tried to get help before the shooting. “It’s like somebody ripped my freaking heart out. She was so scared of him, and we tried to get her help,” she said.
Family members have described a relationship that grew more dangerous after Montgomery became pregnant. Amy Montgomery wrote in a public fundraiser that Sanchez became angry after Rylee refused to end the pregnancy. She said he threatened Rylee several times and once choked her at the family’s home. She also said Sanchez pointed a gun at Rylee after the breakup and later sent threatening messages. Those claims are now part of the public record around the case, but police have not released every report tied to the earlier allegations. Investigators are also reviewing whether paperwork tied to the February report was delayed before the fatal shooting.
Sanchez appeared before a judge Friday. Because he was already on felony probation and wearing an ankle monitor from the March case, the judge had to set a new bond hearing. He is due back in court next week. Prosecutors are expected to outline the charges and detention arguments as the case moves forward. Police have said Sanchez was booked on multiple felony charges, and local reports say the case includes two first-degree murder counts tied to Montgomery and her unborn child. Further charging decisions may depend on medical updates, witness statements, forensic evidence and the results of the ongoing investigation.
The shooting left neighbors and family members searching for answers in a fast-growing part of Buckeye west of Phoenix. Officers closed off the area near Elwood Street and 257th Lane after the gunfire while investigators searched for evidence and worked to identify the person who fled. Buckeye police later thanked residents and partner agencies for helping them make a quick arrest. “Buckeye police thanks our community and law enforcement partners for your assistance in the swift apprehension of this dangerous and violent suspect,” the department said. The statement came as family members mourned Montgomery and questioned whether earlier warning signs had been missed.
Sanchez remained in custody as of Sunday, May 17, while the homicide investigation continued. His next court appearance is expected next week, when the judge is set to revisit bond and the case begins its first full round of hearings.
Author note: Last updated May 17, 2026.