Witness: Teen shot trying to retrieve gun stolen from him

The Clovis teenager killed Sept. 23 was shot to death while trying to retrieve a gun stolen from him moments before, a witness told police.

Izayah Montano, 18, was shot twice and found in an open field near a basketball court and apartment complex at 2101 W. Grand Ave. He died a few hours later at Plains Regional Medical Center.

Details of the shooting were contained in police incident reports released to The News late last week following Inspection of Public Records Act requests.

A witness told police she was present when a 17-year-old approached Montano “then grabbed Izayah’s gun from his waistband,” records show.

The witness said Montano asked for the gun back, but the 17-year-old “took off running with the stolen gun and Izayah pursued.”

The witness said she then watched the thief turn around and shoot Montano twice.

Police on Sept. 25 arrested the 17-year-old after discovering he was wanted for two homicides in the Tucson, Ariz., area. Arizona authorities identified the teen as Trystn Montoya.

Clovis officials have not charged Montoya, but said he remains a suspect in Montano’s death. Montoya is being held in a juvenile detention facility in Lea County while Arizona officials go through the process of extraditing him.

District Attorney Quentin Ray said an extradition hearing for Montoya is scheduled Friday.

Montano was shot just above his right hip and in his left knee, records show.

Montoya was located at his grandparents’ home in the 1600 block of Cameo Street, where records show he’d been staying for three or four days. He was taken into custody without incident.

Police said they found a Glock 43 pistol in a closet at the home where Montoya was arrested. Officials late last week were trying to determine if the gun found is the same as the one stolen from Montano. “(T)he gun is going to be sent to the lab and see if a ballistic report can prove it is the same gun” used to kill Montano, District Attorney Ray wrote in a text message to The News.

The slaying marked Clovis’ eighth homicide this year and fifth since June 19.