SDSU STUDENT NEEDS HELP FOR INJURIES, LOSS OF VEHICLE DUE TO HELPING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM

By Miriam Raftery

February 28, 2024 (San Diego) -- A San Diego State University student who intervened to help a victim of domestic violence has suffered injuries including a sprained back and neck, as well as loss of the vehicle he relies on for his livelihood.

A GoFundMe site has been set up to help Montoya, titled “Heroic Intervention.”

Angelo Montoya was making a DoorDash delivery on February 20th around 1:30 a.m. when he saw a woman trying to escape from an aggressive man.  He turned around and drove back toward the scene, where the woman pleaded with Montoya, “Please don’t leave me.”

The man struck the window of Montoya’s window, so he called 911 and offered the woman a ride in his car—a Tesla he had earned money to purchase through years of working at a fast food restaurant during high school.

A terrifying pursuit ensued. The aggressor used his own vehicle to repeatedly try and ram Montoya, ultimately crashing into the Tesla and pushing it into several parked cars.

Police arrived and arrested the man. The San Diego Police Department is investigating the incident as a domestic violence case, 10 News confirms.

But for 20-year-old Montoya, the road ahead is daunting.  

He says, “I intervened because it was the right thing to do, aiming to be a Good Samaritan and trying to save a domestic violence victim, yet I could never have anticipated the consequences.”

His Tesla was totaled, leaving him unable to work for Doordash to support his education.  He also faces medical bills and legal costs, as well as an urgent need for transportation.

On the GoFundMe site, Montoya says the incident is a reminder of “the unpredictable challenges we may face and the impact of standing up for what is right, even when it comes at a personal cost.”