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‘We had so many plans’: Mother killed in apparent Phoenix road rage shooting
At the same time as police are investigating the shooting death of Stella Montes, 38, the family is grieving their loss, saying they had just started their lives over in a brand new home.
PHOENIX - Police are investigating after a woman was shot and killed while driving near 7th Avenue and Beardsley in north Phoenix on Dec. 9.
At the same time as police are investigating, the family is grieving their loss.
When officers responded to the incident, they saw that a vehicle had crashed into a wall. The driver, 38-year-old Stella Montes, had a gunshot wound, police said.
Montes was taken to the hospital and later died from her injuries. Her fiancé and pregnant daughter were also in the car, but are going to be OK.
Witnesses reported to police that she had been driving when she was shot after a "traffic altercation," but police did not confirm a fight had taken place.
On Dec. 17, police released information about a possible suspect vehicle being a 2015 white Dodge Challenger with Arizona license plate "AMA 3BC."
Anyone with information is asked to call the Phoenix Police Department at 602-262-6151, or call Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS to remain anonymous.
On Dec. 17, police released information about a possible suspect vehicle being a 2015 white Dodge Challenger with Arizona license plate "AMA 3BC" that was involved in an apparent road rage shooting that killed a woman.
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Dash cam captures possible Phoenix road rage suspect
Just over a week after a Phoenix woman, 38, was killed in an apparent road rage shooting, dash cam footage shows the 2015 white Dodge Challenger in question.
‘We had so many plans’
Three days later, the family of Montes shared how her death is, of course, a major loss for the family.
The family wants their names to remain private.
"Our hearts hurt in words that we can’t explain," her daughter said.
Montes was a mother, fiancé, and soon-to-be grandmother. The family had just moved into a brand-new home in Peoria less than a month ago to start a new life.
"We lost our mom Thursday, December 9 because of an angry driver. My pregnant sister being in the back seat and her fiancé in the passenger seat. Our mom was all we ever had growing up as she played both roles as mom and dad in our lives," her daughter said.
Stella Montes, 38, was killed in an apparent road rage shooting in Phoenix on Dec. 9.
Montes' fiancé says, "We were a fresh new family about to start a new chapter in our life – like we had so many plans." He added, "We moved over here to start it all over again, a new start in life and sad thing is, and it’s hard to say, she was about to live the best time of her life."
Her fiancé had already been in a serious rollover collision three days prior to Montes' death.
"It’s hard, it’s hard on anybody. Words can’t describe how you feel. If you haven’t lost a parent then you don’t know what it feels like," her son said.
Along with a GoFundMe fundraiser, the family is raising memorial and medical cost funds through other means.
A car wash fundraiser will be held on Dec. 18 and 19 at the Purple Turtle from 9:30 a.m on 51st Avenue and Indian School Road. They'll be roadside asking for donations on Dec. 14 at 75th Avenue and Thomas Road, as well as 47th Avenue and Indian School Road.
Anyone with information should leave an anonymous tip by calling Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS. Spanish speakers can leave an anonymous tip by calling Testigo Silencioso at 480-TESTIGO. Si tiene alguna información sobre este caso, llame a la línea de Testigo Silencioso (480-TESTIGO, 480-837-8446).
Silent Witness: http://www.silentwitness.org/
Witnesses describe hearing the shooting
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Deadly shooting: Woman killed while driving along North Phoenix street
Phoenix Police officials say a woman was shot and killed while driving near the Loop 101 in North Phoenix. FOX 10's Justin Lum reports.
Esther Ceballos took a video of the scene unfolding, not knowing a shooting happened.
"Never, never, never seen anything like that," said Ceballos. "Yeah, car accidents, but never like this."
Ronda Germanson works in an office close by and said her coworkers heard gunshots.
"I had my boss and a few people who were in a conference room on the north side, and they heard three pops. They thought it was a muffler," said Germanson.
Residents and employees in the area were shaken up by what happened.
"We've never had this ever here, so it's scary," said Germanson.
Kari Lyn, who lives near the crime scene, said she and members of her family were at home when the shooting happened. "My son and I were in the backyard playing. It was about 1:54 in the afternoon. I heard five gunshots go off," Lyn said.
She tried to make sure everyone was safe. She didn’t know what was going on at the time but saw the aftermath.
"I heard somebody screaming on the other side of the wall. My neighbor ran up and over to try and help. I drove around to see if I could help, and there was already an officer trying to resuscitate her," said Lyn.
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Woman dies after being shot while driving in north Phoenix
The woman, identified as 38-year-old Stella Montes, was taken to the hospital before she died from her injuries. FOX 10's Matt Galka spoke with people who were in the area when the shooting happened.
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Fundraiser held for Phoenix woman killed in apparent road rage shooting
Stella Montes was killed in an apparent road rage shooting and on Dec. 19, a fundraiser was held to pay for her funeral.
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