Ohio dad allegedly poses as 11yo daughter on TikTok, lures suspected predator into home and shoots him, ‘I can see why he went after him’

An Ohio father has been arrested after allegedly luring a man he believed had raped his 11-year-old daughter to his home, then shooting him.

As reported by AOL, 31-year-old Grove City resident Malik Chandler was reacting to a horrific video that had been discovered on his young daughter’s phone that allegedly showed her being assaulted by one Diego Montoya Gonzalez.

Authorities were alerted on July 15, but on July 16 Chandler is said to have taken matters into his own hands. Authorities say Chandler posed as his daughter on TikTok and invited Gonzalez to the family home.

“Whatever he saw on the phone, he just couldn’t calm down”

As per court documents, Chandler explained he planned to lure Gonzalez inside, restrain him, and then inform authorities so they could arrest him. But he says Gonzalez put his hand into his pocket when he arrived, leading Chandler to believe he was reaching for a gun. Chandler said this belief was fuelled by a TikTok video in which Gonzalez had flashed a gun, so he shot him twice.

When authorities arrived, Chandler explained the situation, was arrested, and has been charged with felonious assault. Gonzalez was taken to the Grant Medical Center in Columbus, where his injuries were deemed non-life-threatening. He was arrested on July 22 after a brief pursuit.

Gonzalez has now been indicted on two counts of rape, five counts of pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor (prosecutors noted additional recovered videos, including one involving an infant/toddler), and one count of obstructing official business. He has pleaded not guilty.

In this instance, it seemingly appears Chandler’s rage towards Gonzalez was justified. However, in April, a streamer falsely accused an innocent man of being a child predator and may be facing a defamation lawsuit.

Chandler’s neighbor Terrie Shirkey provided some background on Chandler’s state of mind, saying that, “[He] had checked the phone, and he saw texts. Whatever he saw on the phone, he just couldn’t calm down. He just kept pacing, pacing.”

Shirkey added, “I can see why he went after him. I’m not saying it’s right, but that at least makes some sense. It wasn’t a senseless thing. If it’s not, that means we’ve got a predator, and that scares the crap out of me.”

Chandler has a 2017 conviction for attempted breaking and entering, though as this is a misdemeanor in Ohio, he was still allowed to own firearms. The most recent reports indicate that both men are currently in police custody, with Chandler being held on a $100,000 bond and Gonzalez on a $20,000 recognizance bond and a $50,000 cash bond.

Whatever the circumstances, taking the law into your own hands is not a good idea, as shown by a postal worker who went “full vigilante” on someone he believed had been stealing packages, only to nearly kill an innocent 10-year-old boy.