US Marine From Inland Empire Stabbed To Death In North Carolina

INLAND EMPIRE, CA — Community members are rallying around the family of a 21-year-old U.S. Marine from the Inland Empire who was stabbed to death earlier this month in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Lance Cpl. Daniel Montano was found mortally wounded at approximately 2 a.m. April 5, in the city's 100 block of North Front Street, after multiple fights were reported in the area, according to the Wilmington Police Department.

Despite first-responder efforts to save him, Montano succumbed to his injuries, police said.

Victor Valley News Group reported that Montano was a 2023 graduate of Sultana High School in Hesperia.

A suspect was eventually arrested in the slaying. On April 11, Wilmington PD announced that 47-year-old Davy Spencer of Wilmington was in custody and facing multiple charges, including second-degree murder and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

Spencer was hospitalized with a leg injury sustained the night of Montano's killing and did not make his April 13 court appearance, according to reporting from WECT.

Details about a possible motive in the slaying were not released.

According to a GoFundMe page established for Montano's family, he was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, at Camp Lejeune. The base is located in Onslow, North Carolina.

"He was not only dedicated to his country, but also deeply loved by his family," the GoFundMe page reads. "To us, he was more than a Marine — he was a son, a brother, and someone who brought so much light into our lives."

As of 1:40 p.m., the page had raised more than $32,200.