Logan police officer arrested in connection to domestic violence incident

WELLSVILLE, Utah — A Logan police officer was arrested on Aug. 18 after a reported domestic violence incident.

Cache Country sheriff deputies arrested 22-year-old Michael Ryan Montoya in Wellsville for several offenses including assault, assault with substantial bodily harm, and unlawful detention of a minor.

Police Chief Gary Jen confirmed that Montoya was a police officer in the Logan Police Department and that he placed Montoya on unpaid leave.

“There is a presumption of innocence until he goes through the process, the criminal process,” Jen said.

According to an affidavit of probable cause, a woman reported multiple domestic violence incidents over the past year.

“(They) were having a verbal argument in the family home in Wellsville approximately 2 months ago,” the document stated. “(She) was standing in the hallway just outside of the doorway to the bathroom. During the argument MM (Montoya) plowed (her) over using his chest and body weight to hit her.”

The document said the woman lost her balance, fell, and hit her head on the wall. She said her arm was bruised and her head was injured.

The victim and MM later communicated via text. She said she had a headache but she did not need medical help. The affidavit said, “MM asks what (she) will say if she seeks medical assistance, saying that if she tells them that she was knocked down during an argument that they would have to report it to law enforcement.”

The document said “MM admits to having made contact with (her) during the argument but in a text message states ‘I didn’t know you fell down. I wanted to walk away.’”

“(She) never went for medical attention because she was “too fearful to do so”, the affidavit stated.

The victim also told deputies about a separate argument at the home. She said as the argument escalated he “got angry enough at her to use physical force and pinned her against the wall in the kitchen for several minutes while he continued to yell at her in order to force her to hear what he had to say.”

She said his arms were outstretched to the side of her and that his weight and chest were pinning her to the wall.

Deputies also interviewed the couple’s minor child at the Children’s Justice Center. The child told investigators that “prior to moving to Cache County, things between her mom and dad were good.”

The family moved there in 2021. The child said the couple fought a lot since then. “I’ve seen my dad push her up against the wall, and he’ll push her up against the wall and walk away,” the child said in documents.

The child also described an incident approximately two to three months previously.

During the argument the child witnessed Montoya push the victim against the wall with his arms over her and out to his sides. Montoya yelled “you need to get your crap together.”

The child also described another incident when the child saw the victim go into the bathroom crying.

“MM told (her) that if she didn’t open the door he would kick it down.”