Tri-Cities gang member sent to prison for 50 years for deadly shootout with police
A 24-year-old man was ordered to prison for nearly 50 years for a series of shootings that ended in a face off with Pasco police officers.
Miguel Montalvo of Pasco pleaded guilty to 15 crimes, including two counts of attempted first-degree murder for trying to kill two officers, Joshua Glass and Eric Fox, in 2020.
Pasco police officials said the violent confrontation is one of the “most harrowing” officers can face in their career, and said Montalvo’s sentencing provides some closure for the officers involved in the traumatic incident.
While Montalvo admitted to playing a role in the April 29, 2020, shooting that started his crime spree, Montalvo didn’t admit to killing Luis “Oso” Contreras in the backyard of his Lewis Street home. He did admit to assaulting three other people.
He faced a sentencing range of slightly more than 48 to 62 years in prison. That included consecutive sentences for both attempted murder charges and an additional eight years in prison for using a deadly weapon when he fired at officers and a second shooting at the same Lewis Street home where the murder was happened.
Superior Court Judge Norma Rodriguez signed off on a recommendation from prosecutors and Montalvo’s defense attorney for just over 49 1/2 years, according to court documents.
Montalvo was one of three gang members involved in the 2020 shooting. His cousin, Juan M. Montalvo, 25, died during a shootout with police.
A third suspect, Antonio Larios Jr., 21, is charged with second-degree murder and two counts of first-degree assault and remains in the Franklin County jail.
Lewis Street shooting
The Montalvo cousins and Larios allegedly carefully planned the April 2020 shooting — down to the location of security cameras and what direction they were pointed, detectives said at the time.
Witnesses said the three men arrived when two men were in the backyard fixing a fence. An argument broke out and then the shooting started. Witnesses reported hearing 10 or more gunshots, according to the court documents.
Contreras was killed and two others wounded. A witness told investigators she saw Juan “Scars” Montalvo open fire.
Miguel Montalvo and Larios were caught on camera dumping the guns.
Larios was arrested in early May in Granger, Wash., but the Montalvos were on the run for 2 1/2 weeks before returning to the Lewis Street home. They kicked in the front door in an apparent attempt to kill the witnesses, said investigators.
They again opened fire on several people at the home, hitting two and leaving a mother, father and young child running for their lives, documents said.
Police shooting
The suspects fled in a stolen car but after searching for several hours, officers closed in on them at a home on North 12th Avenue.
Glass and Fox were watching the home from an alley when Glass saw Juan Montalvo walk into the alley and turn toward them. Miguel Montalvo immediately followed.
The officers shouted commands and their body-cameras picked up the sound of gunfire, according to a news release from Prosecutor Shawn Sant, who ruled that the officers were justified in the shooting. The officers returned fire and both men were hit several times.
Juan Montalvo, who was wearing body armor at the time, and Miguel Montalvo was taken to a local hospital.
Police found a 9mm Glock pistol within feet of Juan Montalvo’s body. The firearm’s slide was locked back. Along with a loaded magazine in the gun, investigators found several spent 9mm shell casings near his body, a magazine under his body, another in his pocket and several loose bullets in a pocket, Sant said.
A .38 Special revolver with six spent bullets inside was found near Miguel Montalvo, said investigators.
Investigators also discovered that two bullets had punched through the windshield of one of the police cars. Another bullet hit the front bumper of a cop car and flattened the tire.
An analysis showed the shot to the bumper came from Miguel Montalvo’s location.