BLUFF, Utah -- A man has been arrested for murder after police say he shot and killed a father in front of his wife and 7-year-old son as the trio searched their property for a lost pet.
Police released a composite sketch of the suspect back in June, saying that man was sought in the death of 31-year-old Antonio Montowine.
Charging documents filed December 11 shed new details on the murder, which occurred April 16 along County Road 443 on the Navajo reservation and south of Bluff.
The victim's wife and 7-year-old son said they were driving in the family van and searching for a lost pet when they spotted a man on their property.
Because the family had issues with illegal trash dumping on their property before, Montowine stopped to confront the trespasser.
An argument ensued and police said the other man, later identified as Perry Maryboy, fired one shot in the air from a handgun.
"As [Victim] attempted to get back in the van, the male fired a second shot that struck [Victim] in the back of the head," the charges state.
The suspect got into a white truck and fled the scene.
Neither of the two witnesses recognized the gunman but provided a description to generate a composite sketch. A few days later a vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle was spotted on the Navajo reservation, and a search of the license plate number showed it was registered to someone related to Maryboy.
Police spoke with at least one person who identified Maryboy from the composite sketch. Law enforcement secured search warrants from Google and Verizon that they say enabled them to determine Maryboy's phone was present in the area of the shooting during the time it occurred.
Maryboy, who is a member of the Navajo Nation, has been charged by the US Attorney's Office with one count of second-degree murder.
Police arrested Maryboy at his residence in Bluff, Utah on Wednesday. He was taken into custody without incident.
