Battered and Bloodied Teen Fatally Shot a Father at His Son’s Baptism. Now He’s Claiming Self-Defense

A family celebration turned into a crime scene after a father was fatally shot in the Texas town of Balch Springs, located approximately 20 miles south of Dallas.

Cristian Gabriel Montes, 35, was celebrating the baptism of his son and his daughter’s birthday when he was shot dead shortly after midnight on July 27, according to the San Luis Obispo Tribune, KDFW and KXAS.

Officers arrested Leonardo Campos Torres, 19, on the scene after he was identified by witnesses as the gunman.

Torres later confessed to the shooting, according to the KDFW, but claimed to have acted in self-defense.

A mugshot released by the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office shows Torres with a battered and swollen face that is covered in bruises, at least one laceration and a bloodied eye.

Torres and Montes are distant relatives, according to a copy of the affidavit for arrest warrant obtained by the San Luis Obispo Tribune.

The Tribune reports that the affidavit stated that witnesses told police Torres and Montes butted heads at the party because of the teenager’s behavior that night.

“Witnesses reported that earlier in the evening, Campos had been seen firing a handgun in the driveway area near his parked Chevrolet Tahoe,” the affidavit read, according to the outlet.

“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.”

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Staff at Baylor University Medical Center said that Montes had been shot twice during the altercation, including once in the back “while turning away or falling over,” reports KXAS, citing the affidavit.

Cristal Flores, a cousin of the victim who claims she was present at the party when the fatal shooting occurred, said that Torres did not shoot Montes in self-defense, and that the injuries seen in his mugshot were sustained when he attempted to flee the party before police arrived on the scene.

“We will get justice. I will fight for you cousin. your life is worth fighting for and I will always keep your memory alive,” Flores wrote on Facebook.