HELENA — Tony Louis Valez agreed to plea guilty to fatally shooting his 8-year-old daughter at his Orange Ave. home in July of 2022.
According to court documents, Valez believed two women had come to his home on the 800 block of Orange Ave. to attempt to remove him.
Witnesses told police neither woman made any threatening gestures or verbal threats towards Valez. But Valez admitted that he snapped, retrieved a firearm from his bedroom, and began shooting at the women.
One woman was hit with gunfire, the bullet missed the second woman and hit Valez's daughter Arianna Frankie Louise Valez.
Arianna Valez was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.
The plea agreement was filed with Montana district court on August 31, just days before Valez was scheduled to go to trial.
As part of the agreement to plead guilty, prosecutors will drop two charges of Attempted Deliberate Homicide and one charge of Criminal Endangement-all felonies.
Valez faces a minimum of 10 years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 1.
