Dad Poses as 11-Year-Old Daughter on TikTok To Lure Alleged Rapist to His Home Before Shooting Him

A Grove City, Ohio, father faces felonious assault charges after allegedly posing as his 11-year-old daughter on TikTok to lure the man accused of raping her back to their apartment, where he shot the suspect twice.

The shooting followed a report of child sexual assault made to police on 15 July 2026, after the girl's mother discovered video evidence on her daughter's phone. The suspect, identified by police as Diego Montoya Gonzalez, was shot the following day and later charged with rape, pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor, and obstructing official business. The father now faces his own felony charges, in a case that has drawn national attention to how Ohio's justice system treats vigilante violence against accused child predators.

How a Mother's Discovery on a Phone Led to a Shooting

Grove City police said they were first called to the family's apartment on 15 July over a report of a sexual assault involving an 11-year-old girl. The girl's mother told police she had seen video evidence of the assault on her daughter's phone before contacting law enforcement.

The following day, according to police accounts, the girl's father used the TikTok app to pose as his daughter and contact Montoya Gonzalez, drawing him back to the family's home. When police returned to the residence, they found Montoya Gonzalez suffering from two gunshot wounds. He was transported to Grant Medical Center for treatment.

The father told investigators he had intended only to physically confront Montoya Gonzalez and then call police, but said the shooting occurred after the suspect reached for a weapon. A neighbour, identified by local broadcaster WSYX as Terrie Shirkey, described the father as visibly distressed in the hours after learning of the allegations, recalling that he 'had checked the phone, and he saw texts,' and 'just couldn't calm down' afterward.

Charges, Court Appearances and a Disputed Bond

Police arrested Montoya Gonzalez on 22 July after he had evaded officers, with Grove City police enlisting a Strategic Response Team to locate him. He was formally charged with one count of rape and two counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor.

At his first court appearance, Montoya Gonzalez pleaded not guilty in Franklin County Common Pleas Court. The court set a $20,000 recognisance bond alongside a $50,000 cash or surety bond, and ordered that, if released, he stay off the internet except for work purposes and have no contact with the alleged victim's family.

Investigators say the case extends beyond the single allegation involving the 11-year-old. Additional videos were reportedly recovered from Montoya Gonzalez's phone showing the sexual abuse of other children, including footage involving an infant or toddler, according to police accounts.

A grand jury indicted the father on charges of felonious assault and having a weapon while under disability, with his bond set at $100,000. The bond disparity has drawn criticism from some local commentators, who have questioned the county's bond-setting process. Court records cited by local media also noted the father had a prior misdemeanour conviction for attempted breaking and entering, and had previously faced a strangulation charge involving a girlfriend that was ultimately dismissed.

Why This Ohio Shooting Has Divided a Community and the Courts

The shooting has become a flashpoint for broader debate over how the justice system balances due process for the accused against the instincts of a parent confronting an alleged crime against their child. Local outlets, including WBNS, have declined to name the father publicly, a decision aimed at protecting the identity of the child victim, and this article follows that same approach.

Neighbours who spoke to reporters in the aftermath expressed sympathy for the father's actions, even while stopping short of endorsing vigilante violence. Shirkey, addressing the shooting directly, said: 'I can see why he went after him. I'm not saying it's right, but that at least makes some sense.'

Both cases remain active in Franklin County courts, with Montoya Gonzalez facing trial on the rape and pandering charges while the father's felonious assault case proceeds separately. Neither man has yet had his case resolved, and prosecutors have not indicated whether additional charges are pending against either party.

The shooting has left the family fractured by trauma on two fronts, with the father now facing prosecution for the same incident that stemmed from his daughter's alleged abuse.