Cesar Gallegos, a 47-year-old Hispanic male, was found dead on March 24, 2016, in his home in San Antonio, Texas. The Bexar County medical examiner identified the cause of death as a single gunshot wound. The incident occurred around 1 a.m. at a house near West Ansley Street and Moursund Boulevard. When officers arrived at the scene, they found Amanda Marie Montoya, Gallegos' girlfriend, inside the home with the gun still in her hand.
Montoya claimed that the shooting was an accident, but she was taken into custody and charged with murder. She was held in the Bexar County Jail on a $100,000 bond.
The case went to trial, and Montoya was found not guilty of murder but guilty of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The jury was unable to reach a consensus on her sentencing, resulting in a mistrial. Montoya was later sentenced to five years in prison by Judge Christine Del Prado. Montoya has always maintained that the shooting was accidental, stating that Gallegos had been drinking and had taken out his gun. According to Montoya, when she went to hand the gun to Gallegos, he grabbed her arm, causing the gun to go off.
The Gallegos family expressed their dissatisfaction with the sentence, feeling that it was not enough for the loss of Cesar Gallegos. Montoya must serve at least half of her sentence before she is eligible for parole. The case highlights the complexities and challenges of domestic violence cases, where the line between accident and intent can be difficult to determine.
