A man from Arizona, aged 27, has been arrested and charged with the alleged murder of his 13-month-old daughter. Adam Joseph Montoya is accused of shooting the toddler with an AR-style rifle while her mother witnessed the horrifying act. Montoya was apprehended earlier this month and faces charges of second-degree murder and child abuse, both with a domestic violence specification, as per the announcement made by the authorities.
The Navajo County Attorney’s Office issued a statement detailing the incident, which occurred on February 3, 2025, in a residential area of Show Low, Arizona, approximately 175 miles southwest of Phoenix. The statement alleges that Montoya shot his infant daughter with an AR-15 rifle in the presence of the child’s mother, leading to the baby’s death.
The Show Low Police Department and the Timber Mesa Fire Department’s emergency medical personnel responded to a 911 call about a shooting at the residence. Upon arrival, first responders found the baby, who seemed to have sustained a gunshot wound. The infant was immediately rushed to Summit Regional Medical Center for medical attention.
Despite the efforts of the medical team at the hospital, the baby girl could not survive her injuries and was declared dead shortly after her arrival. As of now, the prosecutors and police involved in the case have not disclosed any further details about the shooting or a potential motive, citing the ongoing investigation.
Following his arrest, Montoya was taken to the Navajo County Jail. As of Thursday afternoon, he was still in custody with a bond set at $1 million, according to jail records reviewed by Law&Crime. Montoya is set to appear in Division I of the Navajo County Superior Court at 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 6, 2025, for a pretrial conference and a hearing on his potential release.
Montoya has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is being represented by the Navajo County Public Defender’s Office, as reported by The Associated Press. The prosecutors have stressed that the indictment only contains allegations and that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.