Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A 31-year-old Ohio father, Malik Chandler, has been arrested and charged with felony assault after he allegedly posed as his 11-year-old daughter on TikTok to lure her accused rapist back to the family's home in Grove City, Ohio, where he shot the 20-year-old man twice. The incident, which unfolded in July 2026, began when the girl's mother discovered a video on her daughter's phone that appeared to show Diego Montoya Gonzalez sexually assaulting the child at their home. Prosecutors said the discovery led to a chain of events that has now landed both men in separate criminal cases.
According to investigators, Chandler logged into TikTok the day after the discovery and pretended to be his daughter to contact Gonzalez, who later showed up at the family's home. Authorities said Chandler then shot Gonzalez twice. When police arrived on the scene, they found Gonzalez sitting in a chair with two gunshot wounds. He was transported to Grant Medical Center in Columbus for treatment. During questioning, Chandler told investigators that his original plan was not to kill or seriously injure Gonzalez. According to court documents, he intended to beat him up, hold him until police arrived and then hand him over to authorities. However, Chandler claimed he believed Gonzalez was reaching for a gun, prompting him to grab a firearm from the kitchen counter and open fire.
Following the incident, prosecutors charged Chandler with felony assault. A judge later set his bond at $100,000. The case has drawn widespread attention, with many questioning the disparity between Chandler's $100,000 bond and the $70,000 bond set for Gonzalez, who is facing multiple felony counts including rape and pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor. A Franklin County grand jury indicted Gonzalez on five counts of pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor, two counts of rape and one count of obstruction of official business. Prosecutors alleged they found multiple videos showing the sexual abuse of children on his phone. One of the clips reportedly involved an infant or toddler. Court records showed Gonzalez pleaded not guilty during his arraignment.
The girl's parents were in the Franklin County Common Pleas Courtroom as Gonzalez was arraigned. A judge set a $20,000 recognizance bond and a $50,000 cash bond. If Gonzalez is released from jail, he has been ordered to have no contact with the victim and her family and is banned from using the internet for any purposes outside of work. The case has sparked a fierce debate about vigilantism, parental protection, and the limits of the justice system, with some defending Chandler's actions as those of a desperate father and others condemning the shooting as an unlawful act of violence that could have escalated further. As both men await their separate trials, the case continues to raise uncomfortable questions about how far a parent should go to protect their child—and what happens when the justice system moves too slowly for those who have already lost everything.
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