GRAND HAVEN — Christian Montijo, 32, of Manassas, Virginia, will serve a minimum of 12 years and a maximum of 36 years in the Michigan Department of Corrections, with just over a year of time served, for repeatedly harassing, stalking and assaulting a woman in Holland Township.
Montijo was sentenced June 1 in Ottawa County’s 20th Circuit Court by Judge Karen Miedema.
“You were very manipulative and very selfish,” Miedema said. “… You were not only disrespectful, you were dangerous (to the victim). I don’t even know what to say because you were out of control.”
Montijo was charged with assault with intent to commit great bodily harm less than murder, two counts of felonious assault, domestic violence, criminal sexual misconduct related to kidnapping, third-degree fleeing and eluding a police officer, felony firearm and reckless driving. The charges were spread across four separate cases.
Montijo pled no contest to nearly all of the charges in April.
A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt, but is treated similarly for sentencing. As part of the plea agreement, the charge of third-degree fleeing and eluding a police officer was dropped.
Montijo is accused of assaulting a Holland Township woman several times in December 2024 — then leaving the state for a period of time to avoid police, according to the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office.
OCSO said investigation into the ongoing domestic incident uncovered stalking behavior, damage to the victim’s vehicle, domestic violence, assaults at gunpoint, and fleeing and eluding.
“I don’t think (his) taking a no contest plea … is actually taking accountability for anything he’s done,” the victim said at sentencing. The Sentinel does not identify victims of domestic assault.
Anna White, defense attorney, said her client entered a no contest plea because he was intoxicated and therefore doesn’t remember committing the alleged crimes.
“She was petrified of you and rightly so,” Miedema said. “I kind of agree with the victim when she makes a statement that you didn’t take accountability for it. … I find it hard to believe that you don’t remember when you’re driving a car and pull out a gun.”
“He put her through hell for quite some time, harassed her, held a gun to her head and pulled the trigger,” said prosecuting attorney Britta Girmscheid. “These are a very scary set of facts and they deserve this number.”
— Cassidey Kavathas is the politics and court reporter at The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at ckavathas@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on X @cassideykava.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Virginia man sentenced for assaulting, stalking woman in Holland Twp.
Reporting by Cassidey Kavathas, Holland Sentinel / The Holland Sentinel
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