Ohio Father Posed as His 11-Year-Old Daughter on TikTok to Lure an Alleged Sexual Assailant — Then Shot Him

Part 1: A Mother Discovers a Disturbing Video

The case began with a discovery no parent would ever want to make.

In July 2026, the mother of an 11-year-old girl in Grove City, Ohio, contacted police after discovering a video on her daughter's phone that appeared to show the child being sexually assaulted.

According to reports and court records cited by local media, the discovery prompted an investigation into a 20-year-old man, Diego Montoya Gonzalez, who was subsequently accused of sexually assaulting the girl. Gonzalez later faced serious criminal charges connected to the allegations.

The situation quickly became more complicated.

Rather than simply waiting for investigators to determine what had happened, the girl's father, 31-year-old Malik Chandler, allegedly decided to confront the man he believed had harmed his daughter.

What happened next would turn the case into a story that spread rapidly across social media.

According to court records reported by WHIO and WSYX/ABC 6, Chandler began communicating with Gonzalez through TikTok. Investigators said Chandler was posing as his 11-year-old daughter while communicating with the man. (WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio)

The purpose, authorities say, was to persuade Gonzalez to return to the family's home.

Chandler allegedly wanted Gonzalez to come to the residence so he could confront him.

The encounter took place on July 16, the day after the girl's mother reportedly discovered the video.

When Gonzalez arrived at Chandler's Grove City home, the confrontation quickly escalated.

Police later found Gonzalez with two gunshot wounds. He was taken to Grant Medical Center in Columbus for treatment and survived the shooting. (WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio)

The initial viral version of the story described Chandler as having “shot his daughter's rapist.” But legally, that wording is too definitive.

At the time of the reports, Gonzalez was an accused sexual offender, not someone who had been convicted of the alleged crimes. He later pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him. (Us)

That distinction matters, particularly in a criminal case that was still moving through the courts.

But the allegations against Gonzalez became even more serious as investigators examined the evidence.

Part 2: The TikTok Trap

According to investigators, Chandler did not simply confront Gonzalez spontaneously.

He allegedly created an online conversation designed to bring the man to his home.

By pretending to be his 11-year-old daughter on TikTok, Chandler was able to establish communication with Gonzalez and persuade him to come to the residence.

The circumstances are particularly disturbing because the entire interaction allegedly occurred shortly after the girl's mother discovered the video that triggered the investigation.

Court records cited by local news outlets indicate that Chandler told detectives he initially intended to confront Gonzalez without shooting him.

His reported plan, according to investigators, was to beat Gonzalez, restrain him and then call police.

But once Gonzalez arrived, Chandler said he believed the man was reaching for a gun.

That was when the situation turned violent.

Chandler reportedly told investigators that he saw Gonzalez reach toward his pocket and believed he might be armed. Chandler then retrieved his own firearm and fired.

WHIO reported that Chandler fired three shots, while other reports described Gonzalez as suffering two gunshot wounds. Police found Gonzalez sitting in a chair after the shooting. (WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio)

The distinction between the number of shots fired and the number of wounds is important because viral social-media posts often reduce complicated events to a single dramatic sentence.

The man survived.

He was transported to a Columbus hospital for treatment, while Chandler remained at the scene and eventually surrendered to police.

According to the account reported by local media, Chandler did not chase Gonzalez after the shooting. He reportedly put the gun down and waited for police to arrive. (WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio)

Chandler was subsequently arrested and charged with felonious assault.

His bond was initially set at $100,000. (WKRC)

The case therefore became a complicated confrontation between two separate criminal investigations: one involving allegations of sexual abuse of a child, and another involving the father's decision to use a firearm against the man he believed was responsible.

For Chandler, the discovery involving his daughter appears to have been the catalyst.

For investigators, however, the shooting was only one part of a much larger investigation.

Part 3: The Investigation Into Gonzalez

As authorities investigated the allegations involving the 11-year-old girl, prosecutors brought a series of serious charges against Gonzalez.

According to reports, a Franklin County grand jury indicted the 20-year-old on two counts of rape, five counts of pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor, and one count of obstructing official business. (Us)

Gonzalez pleaded not guilty at his arraignment.

That means the allegations remain allegations unless and until they are established in court.

But prosecutors also alleged that investigators discovered additional disturbing material on Gonzalez's phone.

Authorities said the device contained several videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including one involving an infant or toddler. (New York Post)

The discovery significantly expanded the scope of the investigation.

What had initially centered on allegations involving one 11-year-old girl was now being examined in the context of other alleged child sexual abuse material.

Authorities also imposed restrictions on Gonzalez as part of his bond conditions. Reports said that if released, he would be prohibited from contacting the girl and her family and would be restricted from using the internet except for work-related purposes. (Us)

Meanwhile, Chandler's actions remained the subject of a separate criminal case.

The legal question surrounding the father was not whether the allegations against Gonzalez were disturbing. Rather, prosecutors had to determine whether Chandler's decision to lure the man to his home and shoot him was legally justified.

Chandler's account was that he believed Gonzalez was reaching for a firearm.

But authorities, not Chandler himself, would ultimately have to determine what the evidence showed.

This is one of the most important aspects of the story that can disappear when the case is reduced to a viral headline.

Online, the story can easily be summarized as:

“Father catches daughter's rapist and shoots him.”

The actual legal situation is considerably more complicated.

There were allegations against Gonzalez.

There was an investigation into those allegations.

There was evidence prosecutors said they had discovered.

There was a shooting.

And there were criminal charges against the father as a result.

Each part of that sequence matters.

Part 4: A Father's Anger and the Question of Vigilante Justice

The emotional reaction to the case has been intense.

For many people, the idea of a parent discovering evidence that their child may have been sexually abused is almost impossible to comprehend.

That emotional response helps explain why the story spread so quickly online.

A father allegedly posing as his own 11-year-old daughter, luring the man accused of harming her to the family home and then shooting him sounds like something written for a crime thriller.

But according to police and court records reported by local media, the underlying incident was real.

Neighbors interviewed after the shooting described Chandler as visibly upset after learning about the allegations involving the child.

One neighbor told ABC 6 that she could understand why Chandler was angry while also acknowledging that the shooting itself was not necessarily justified. (WKRC)

That tension lies at the center of the case.

A parent may feel an overwhelming desire to protect a child.

But American criminal law does not generally allow individuals to decide for themselves that another person deserves to be punished and then carry out that punishment.

The justice system exists precisely because allegations must be investigated and evidence must be evaluated through legal procedures.

Chandler's case illustrates how quickly grief, anger and fear can collide with the law.

According to his account to investigators, he initially planned to restrain Gonzalez and call police. He said he fired only after believing Gonzalez was reaching for a gun. (WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio)

Whether that explanation ultimately satisfies the legal requirements for self-defense or another defense is a question for the courts.

At the same time, the allegations against Gonzalez are serious enough that prosecutors moved forward with multiple felony charges.

This creates an uncomfortable reality: two different legal questions can be true at the same time.

The allegations against Gonzalez can be extremely serious, and Chandler can still face criminal consequences for how he responded.

The existence of one investigation does not automatically erase the other.

That distinction is especially important when stories like this circulate on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and other social platforms, where dramatic captions can quickly become accepted as established fact.

Part 5: What the Viral Headlines Leave Out

The story of Malik Chandler and Diego Montoya Gonzalez contains many of the elements that make a crime story go viral: a child, a parent, social media, an alleged sexual assault, deception, a confrontation and gunfire.

But the facts are more nuanced than the viral headline suggests.

First, Gonzalez was not killed.

He was shot and suffered two gunshot wounds, but he survived and was transported to a Columbus hospital for treatment. (WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio)

Second, calling Gonzalez simply a “rapist” is legally premature.

He was accused of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl and was later indicted on two rape charges along with other offenses. He pleaded not guilty. (Us)

Third, Chandler's account was that he did not originally intend to shoot Gonzalez.

According to court records reported by local media, Chandler said he planned to beat him, restrain him and contact police. He claimed that he fired only after believing Gonzalez was reaching for a gun. (WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio)

Those details do not determine the legal outcome, but they provide important context.

Finally, the investigation involving Gonzalez went beyond the original allegations.

Prosecutors said investigators discovered additional videos involving alleged sexual abuse of children on his phone. Those claims formed part of the broader criminal case against him. (New York Post)

As the legal proceedings continue, the case raises difficult questions about parental protection, online deception, vigilante justice and the limits of personal retaliation.

It also demonstrates why sensational social-media captions should be treated carefully.

The most accurate description is not simply that “a father caught a rapist and shot him.”

A more precise account is this:

Ohio authorities say 31-year-old Malik Chandler allegedly posed as his 11-year-old daughter on TikTok and lured 20-year-old Diego Montoya Gonzalez to his home after the girl's mother discovered a video that allegedly showed sexual abuse. Chandler then shot Gonzalez, who survived. Gonzalez was subsequently indicted on multiple charges related to alleged sexual offenses involving a minor and other alleged child sexual-abuse material, while Chandler faced a felony assault charge over the shooting. (WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio)

That version may be less sensational than the viral headline.

But it is much closer to what the available reporting and court records actually establish.