A 28-year-old man accused in the shooting death of his girlfriend two years ago is set to stand trial in May after rejecting a plea deal last week in Lubbock County court.
Isaiah Montelongo, who has been held at the Lubbock County Detention Center since his March 4, 2022 arrest, appeared in the 140th District Court where he was expected to enter a guilty plea to murder in the killing of his girlfriend, Monica Rubio.
A trial has been set for May 6.
Before the plea hearing, Montelongo briefly met with his attorney Mark Snodgrass, who later informed the court that his client was not taking the plea deal, which was not disclosed in court.
Murder carries a punishment of five years to life in prison. However, Montelongo’s prior felony convictions for robbery and burglary of a habitation could increase his minimum punishment to 25 years.
Rubio’s mother, who was among a dozen family members who appeared in court for the hearing, walked out of the courtroom in tears.
Other family members, who left the courtroom immediately after could be heard screaming after the hearing ended without a sentence.
Montelongo’s charge stems from a Lubbock Metropolitan Special Crimes Unit that began after Lubbock police officers responded to a shots fired call about 12:20 p.m. March 3, 2022 in the 1900 block of 22nd Street. Responding officers found Rubio suffering from a gunshot wound. She was taken to Covenant Medical Center where she died.
Rubio suffered a close-range gunshot in the mouth area, according to an arrest affidavit.
Investigators with the Lubbock Metropolitan Special Crimes Unit spoke with Montelongo, who was identified as Rubio’s boyfriend, at the scene.
Montelongo denied to investigators that he shot Rubio. He said he was unaware that she was at his home but heard her yell out his name from outside, according to the affidavit.
He answered the door and saw Rubio with another man standing next to the trailer. He said the other man brandished a gun, shot Rubio and ran westbound on 22nd Street.
Montelongo told investigators that he carried Rubio into his trailer and laid her on his bed, where he noticed she was bleeding.
He consented to a search of his trailer, which yielded evidence that contradicted his statement that Rubio was shot outside the trailer. Investigators found a bullet with hairs lodged into Montelongo’s pillow on the bed and blood evidence inconsistent with his statement, the warrant states.
Another investigator found a video from a nearby security camera that pointed to 22nd Street, which did not support Montelongo’s statement that his girlfriend’s shooter ran westbound from his trailer.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock man rejects plea deal in girlfriend’s 2022 slaying