RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. An Ohio father accused of shooting the man suspected of raping his 11-year-old daughter was set a higher bond than the 20-year-old alleged attacker, sparking outrage on social media.
Malik Chandler, 31, of Grove City, Ohio, was arrested and charged with felonious assault in July, WBNS reported.
Prosecutors said he shot Diego Montoya Gonzalez, 20, after luring him to his home on July 16 through messages sent via his daughter’s TikTok account, a day after the girl's mother reportedly discovered video of alleged assault on the girl's phone.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found Montoya Gonzalez in a chair with two gunshot wounds, WHIO reported. He was transported to Grant Medical Center in Columbus.
The case has garnered fresh attention this week after Montoya Gonzalez was set a $70,000 bond following an arraignment on Monday. Chandler’s bond had been set at $100,000 last month, local news outlets reported.
Montoya Gonzalez pleaded not guilty to charges of rape, pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor and obstructing official business during the arraignment on Monday, WBNS reported . A judge set a $20,000 recognizance bond and a $50,000 cash bond.
He remains in custody, according to online records from the Franklin County Sheriff's Office reviewed by Newsweek. He was also arrested on Tuesday for further offenses including breaking and entering and theft, the records show.
Chandler was in the Franklin County Common Pleas Courtroom for Monday's arraignment, according to WBNS.
Newsweek has contacted the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office for comment via email.
Authorities began investigating Montoya Gonzalez after the girl’s mother discovered a video on the girl’s phone that appeared to show a sexual assault on July 15, WBNS reported.
The next day, Chandler allegedly pretended to be his daughter on TikTok to get Montoya Gonzalez to come to their home.
A criminal complaint said that Chandler told police he planned to beat Montoya Gonzalez and hold him until police arrived on this scene.
But Chandler told police he believed Montoya Gonzalez was reaching for a firearm and shot him.
According to ABC 6, Chandler was charged in 2021 with strangling his live-in girlfriend until she lost consciousness, although the case was later dismissed.
He was convicted in 2017 of attempted breaking and entering, a misdemeanor, that meant he was still legally permitted to possess a firearm under Ohio law, the outlet reported.
Social media users have expressed support for Chandler, and questioned why he was issued a higher bond than his daughter’s alleged rapist.
“So a dad doing what a dad should do gets a much higher bond than the [alleged] pedo rapist who was [allegedly] caught with horrific images + video of child sexual abuse, including of a baby?” conservative activist Robby Starbuck wrote on X.
Conservative activist Riley Gaines also expressed support for the father, writing on X: “Give this dad a medal.”
Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican, wrote on X: “Don’t rape kids. This should not be a controversial statement.”
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: John Fitzpatrick and Trevor Davies .
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