Fight between relatives at family baptism celebration leaves dad dead, cops say
A man is dead and a relative is charged after a family baptism celebration turned into a fight and a shooting, police said.
Authorities in Dallas County were called out to Balch Springs during the early morning hours of July 27 to investigate a shooting and found Cristian Gabriel Montes, 35, suffering from gunshot wounds, Fox 4 reported.
Police arrested Leonardo Asis Campos Torres, 19, after witnesses identified him as the shooter, a police affidavit said.
“Campos and Montes are known to be related family members, though the exact nature of their relationship is unclear,” the report said.
“Both were attending a large family gathering at the residence to celebrate the baptism of Montes’ son. Witnesses reported that earlier in the evening, Campos had been seen firing a handgun in the driveway area near his parked Chevrolet Tahoe.
“Montes reportedly confronted Campos about his actions, which led to a verbal altercation that escalated into a physical fight. During the fight, Campos drew a firearm and shot Montes.”
The suspect confessed to shooting Montes and claimed it was in self-defense, the police said.
The victim was transported to Baylor University Medical Center where the hospital confirmed that Montes was shot twice — one in the chest and the other to his back.
“This suggests he was shot more than once and possibly after turning away or falling,” the affidavit said.
Balch Springs is about a 15-mile drive southeast from Dallas.
This story was originally published August 29, 2025 at 4:59 PM.