Who is Malik Chandler? Ohio dad pretends to be his 11-y/o daughter on TikTok, lures her alleged rapist and shoots him

Malik Chandler, an Ohio father, pretended to be his 11-year-old daughter on TikTok to lure her alleged rapist to his home, where he shot him twice.

Published on: Aug 5, 2026, 10:39:39 IST

By Sumanti Sen

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An Ohio father pretended to be his 11-year-old daughter on TikTok to lure her alleged rapist to his home, where he shot him twice. Malik Chandler, 31, shot Diego Montoya Gonzalez, 20, in July after the 11-year-old’s mother found a video on the girl’s phone that showed him sexually assaulting her at their Grove City, Ohio, home, prosecutors said.

Ohio dad pretends to be his 11-y/o daughter on TikTok, lures her alleged rapist Diego Montoya Gonzalez (pictured) to his home, and shoots him (Franklin County Sheriff's Office)

Chandler pretended to be his daughter on TikTok the next day, and lured Gonzalez back to their home, WNBS reported. He then shot Gonzalez twice.

Who is Malik Chandler?

Not much has been revealed about Chandler except that he told investigators that he had just planned to beat up Gonzalez, hold him there and then call police. He said he thought he saw Gonzalez reach for a gun in his pocket, which is when he himself grabbed his gun off the counter and opened fire.

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Police arrived on the scene and found Gonzalez sitting in a chair with two gunshot wounds. He was then transported to Grant Medical Center in Columbus, WHIO reported.

Chandler was charged with felony assault. His bond was set at $100,000.

Gonzalez was recently indicted by a grand jury on five counts of pandering sexually oriented material, two counts of rape and one count of obstruction of official business. According to prosecutors, they found several videos on his phone showing the sexual abuse of children. One clip featured an infant or toddler.

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The parents of the girl were in the Franklin County Common Pleas Courtroom as Gonzalez was arraigned on Monday. A $20,000 recognizance bond and a $50,000 cash bond were set by a judge.

In case Gonzalez is released from jail, he is required to not have any contact with the victim and her family. He is also banned from using the internet for any purposes outside of work.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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