By Jon Johnson
GREENLEE COUNTY – Greenlee County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Antonio V. Montez, 37, has been charged with aggravated assault/domestic violence for allegedly causing a 1-inch laceration to his 5-year-old son’s eye/head by striking him with a walkie-talkie.
Montez has already been on administrative leave for the past two months while the Arizona Department of Public Safety is investigating him on an unrelated matter to the domestic situation. That investigation was initiated by Greenlee County Sheriff Eric Ellison, who stated that he couldn’t comment on the investigation due to its ongoing nature. Montez has been with the department for less than two years.
The injury to the youth reportedly took place on July 3 when Montez allegedly threw a broken walkie-talkie that struck the boy in his head and required five stitches to seal the gash.
Additionally, investigators say Montez coached the youth to lie about the injury and say he received it while falling off a scooter.
While the assault allegedly took place at Montez’s residence in Duncan in the 600 block of Virden Road, Greenlee County Sheriff Eric Ellison immediately contacted the Clifton Police Department to handle the investigation due to the conflict of interest.
Montez shares custody of his son and two daughters. The investigation began when they were returned to their mother the following day, on July 4. The boy had started to tell his mother that he had injured his eye falling from a scooter. Still, when his 6-year-old sister chimed in, she let it slip that her father had caused the injury by throwing a walkie-talkie at the boy after he had broken it by submerging it in the water of a kiddie pool.
During an ensuing investigation with a Clifton officer, the youth initially said he was injured falling off his sister’s bicycle but later admitted he got hurt when “his dad throwed the radio.” (sic). After being injured, Montez took the child to an Urgent Care facility, where he received five stitches. When asked why, he initially said he was injured by falling off a bicycle, the youth said, “because dad said don’t tell anybody” about being hit with the walkie-talkie. The boy’s version of events was corroborated by his two sisters, who reportedly witnessed it as well.
During his interview, Montez reportedly advised that his son was injured when he fell off his sister’s pink scooter. Montez admitted to throwing the walkie-talkie but denied striking his son with it. He claimed his ex-wife was trying to get him into trouble, and he requested the officer “get her for false reporting.”
The Clifton officer then placed Montez under arrest for aggravated assault/domestic violence and booked him into the Greenlee County Jail on a $5,000 bond. He was then transferred to the Graham County Adult Detention Facility to be held and posted bond on Tuesday, July 8, according to online court records.
