On a tragic summer evening in Helena, Montana, the life of 8-year-old Arianna Frankie Louise Valez was cut short. On July 10, 2022, the young Caucasian girl became an unintended victim in a violent domestic dispute. Arianna, who was born on December 5, 2013, was fatally shot at a residence on Orange Avenue. That evening, her father, Tony Louis Valez, then 66, became enraged by the belief that his longtime partner and their 18-year-old son were attempting to remove him from the house.
In
a fit of anger, Tony Valez retrieved a handgun from his bedroom and began shooting. He first fired at his partner, Arianna's mother, causing her to fall to the ground. He then turned his aim towards his 18-year-old son. As the boy's sister, Arianna, tried to flee the chaos, a bullet intended for her brother struck her in the back. The force of the impact caused her to fall from the back deck where she had been standing. Emergency services were called to the scene, and Arianna was rushed to a nearby hospital, but she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead.
Following the shooting, Tony Valez himself contacted the authorities, claiming he had shot at people in his home who were trying to attack him. A second 911 call from another individual at the residence reported that a woman had been shot. Helena Police officers responded and arrested Tony Valez. He was initially charged with deliberate homicide for Arianna's death, as well as two counts of attempted deliberate homicide for shooting at his partner and son.
In September 2023, Tony Valez pleaded guilty to the charge of deliberate homicide in the death of his daughter, Arianna. In exchange for his plea, the two counts of attempted deliberate homicide were dropped. On November 1, 2023, a District Court judge sentenced him to 100 years in the Montana State Prison. During the sentencing, it was noted that Valez suffered from several health issues, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and he appeared at the hearing via Zoom with an oxygen tank. The judge, in handing down the lengthy sentence, expressed disbelief that the fear of eviction could justify such a violent and tragic response, especially in a confined space with children present.
