Sports Anchor Shooting Suspect Has History of Arrests

Mike Montana, 54, is accused of shooting sports anchor Kyle Kraska outside his home

NBC 7 Investigates is learning more about the local painter accused of shooting San Diego sports anchor Kyle Kraska Tuesday, including the suspect's arrest history and civil claims filed against him.

Mike Montana, 54, was booked into jail Wednesday morning after police say he shot CBS affiliate KFMB's sportscaster Kyle Kraska outside the victim's Scripps Ranch home. The two were in a dispute over a paint job Montana did at Kraska's house, according to investigators.

Kraska was rushed to the hospital Tuesday afternoon, where he underwent surgery. KFMB says he is now recovering at Scripps La Jolla Hospital.

NBC 7 Investigates has been digging into court filings and other public documents to learn more about Montana. Here is what has been uncovered:

  • San Diego criminal court records reveal Montana has been arrested twice in the past five months for driving under influence of drugs. The first citation was issued Oct. 15, 2014. Court records show Montana was released on $2,500 bail and a criminal complaint was issued against him on Nov. 24, 2014. His next court appearance on that charge is scheduled for March 27, 2015.
     
  • On Nov. 4, 2014, Montana was cited a second time for driving under the influence of drugs, according to court documents. He was booked, jailed and once again released on $2,500 bail. His next hearing on that misdemeanor is also scheduled for March 27, 2015.
     
  • San Diego civil court records show two small claims actions against Montana and a legal action by a formal landlord to collect more than $5,000 in back rent that Montana allegedly owed for an office/storage space he rented in Santee. Vivian Kroeger, whose family owns an industrial park in Santee, filed an unlawful detainer action against Montana last August. According to that civil action, Montana owed the Kroeger family $5,113 for six months of unpaid rent and penalties at the Prospect Center, in the 9900 block of Prospect Avenue, in Santee. Kroeger has asked a judge twice to rule in her favor, but court records indicate her request was denied both times, most recently on September 30, 2014. Montana has not responded to the allegations, or submitted any documents to the judge. That case is still pending.
     
  • According to small claims court records from 2009, the owners of Ace Towing in El Cajon also sued Montana. The documents made available to NBC 7 Investigates do not show the amount of the dispute, but do reveal a judge heard the evidence and ruled in Montana's favor, and the towing company was not awarded any money in that dispute.
     
  • A court record search reveals Montana was the target of another small claims action, filed in 2007, but records on that dispute were not immediately available.
     
  • State records show Montana's contractor's license for his painting business was suspended for a month, in 2002, after a painting supply company obtained a court judgment against him in a financial dispute. The license was reinstated and is currently valid after Montana showed proof of bankruptcy filing to the state.

Frank Coit, the owner of Lonestar Contracting and Montana's former boss, said he got to know the suspect when he noticed Montana was living in a shipping container on the property behind Coit's business. 

Wanting to be a good neighbor, Coit said he gave Montana some work. However, he ended up withholding $800 in payment from Montana and replaced him on a painting job because the customer complained of shoddy workmanship, according to Coit.

Soon after, the boss said he started receiving threats from Montana.

"Keep in mind, he does go to the gun range every week and he is quite a marksman and doesn't mind getting bloody," said Coit, paraphrasing what Montana told him. "He insinuated threats, but at the same time, a child can read through those likes."

According to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, Montana is not licensed to carry a firearm. Police say they do not know how he got a gun to carry out Tuesday's shooting.

After police released Montana's and his vehicle's description, a neighbor told NBC 7 he spotted Montana's white van, which had "Superior Painting" written on the side, after hearing about it on the news. Tuesday evening, he called the tip into police, who surrounded the home where Montana was renting a room. After a three-hour SWAT standoff, police negotiators convinced Montana to peacefully walk out of the house with his hands up in surrender.

NBC 7 will be continuing to follow this story. Watch for updates online, on-air and on your mobile device via our app. Also, be sure to follow @NBC7SanDiego on Twitter for the latest developments.

Montana will be arraigned on an attempted murder charge on Friday.

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