Main, left to right: Jose Montoya and Judith Ramirez (Shelby County Jail). Background: Tequila Town Bar (Google Maps).
A married couple in Tennessee was detained over the weekend for allegedly shooting a woman in the head at a restaurant after they were reportedly ejected for behaving “irate.”
Jose Montoya, age 27, and his wife, 26-year-old Judith Ramirez, were both apprehended on Sunday, facing charges including one count each of attempted first-degree murder, using a firearm during a felony, and vandalism ranging from $10,000 to $60,000, as indicated by court documents.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, shortly after midnight on June 15, 2025, officers from the Memphis Police Department responded to a report of aggravated assault at Tequila Town Bar in the 700 block of North Whitestation Road. Upon arriving, first responders interviewed a male who was part of the security detail when the alleged incident took place.
The security guard said he was working late Saturday evening when the bar’s owner told him Montoya was “acting irate inside the establishment.” When the security guard approached Montoya and told him he needed to “calm down,” Montoya allegedly “became aggressive” toward the guard, who then “escorted him outside of the establishment with his wife, later identified as Ramirez.
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“During the Escort, Montoya said ‘Y’all done f— up now,”” the affidavit states. “Judith advised that she opened the door, and Montoya retrieved a firearm from the vehicle. [The security guard] advised that he observed Jose go to his vehicle, retrieve a firearm, and begin firing shots at him. [The security guard] returned fire in self-defense. During the shooting, Montoya reloaded his firearm multiple times and continued shooting at [The security guard]. Both Ramirez and Montoya fled the scene without rendering aid to the victim.”
The couple fled in a gray 2025 Kia SUV with Tennessee license plates, police said.
Staff at the bar also informed police that a female patron had been “shot in the back of the head” during the confrontation. She was transported to a local hospital in critical condition. Police did not immediately respond to an inquiry from Law&Crime regarding the victim’s current condition.
In addition to the victim injured, multiple cars in the area were struck by bullets fired by Montoya, police said.
Investigators were able to locate the couple after spotting their car in the driveway of a residence in the 3000 block of Josibpet Lane. Police searched the vehicle and recovered multiple spent bullet casings, authorities said. In a pickup truck at the same address, police said they recovered a black and green handgun believed to have been used in the shooting.
Montoya and Ramirez were both found inside the home and taken into custody. The duo is currently being held in the Shelby County Jail without bond. They are scheduled to appear for a hearing in the matter on Tuesday morning.
