A 17-year-old who was previously arrested in connection with a shooting is now accused of killing a pregnant mother of four at a Spirit Halloween store in California. Prosecutors are asking a judge to have him tried as an adult.
Monte Smith was arrested Nov. 2 following the Oct. 30 shooting at Solano Town Center in Fairfield. Constance Hages, 31, was killed, and six other people were wounded, police said.
The Solano County District Attorney’s Office charged Smith with two counts of murder and said it would seek to move the case to adult court.
Fairfield police said Smith had been arrested in connection with a separate shooting in a local high school parking lot after school hours in 2025. He was sentenced in that case and later released, according to the department.
“It’s time for change in California,” Fairfield Police Chief Dan Marshall said, according to KTVU. “I don’t know how many more people have to die at the hands of youth. Hopefully we’ve had plenty enough.”
Prosecutors cited the seriousness of the charges, Smith’s criminal record and concerns about public safety in arguing that he should remain in custody. Their filing also refers to a previous conviction for a violent offense, known as a strike, but the DA’s Office did not say what the offense was.
Hages’ death left four children without their mother. Her aunt, Clanisha Morton, organized a fundraiser to help cover funeral costs and provide for the children. Police confirmed Hages was pregnant when she was killed.
“Constance was deeply loved, and her absence has created an overwhelming void in the lives of everyone who knew and cherished her,” Morton wrote.
Police said the shooting began at about 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 30. Smith allegedly entered the store and saw a customer investigators believe he meant to target. He then pulled out a gun and fired several times, striking that person and six others. Hages died at the scene.
Investigators have not named the person they believe was the intended target or explained what may have led to the shooting.
Smith left the store within minutes, around the time officers arrived, police said. While first responders treated the wounded, a school resource officer reviewing surveillance footage recognized Smith as a former student and alerted detectives. That helped investigators identify him within hours of the 911 call. Detectives later found him at a home in nearby Suisun City.
Police initially did not release Smith’s name because he is a minor. The DA’s Office identified him when it announced the charges.
The FBI assisted with the investigation. Its Evidence Response Team helped Fairfield police process part of the scene.
In addition to the two murder charges, Smith faces three counts of attempted murder, three counts of assault with a semiautomatic weapon and several firearm enhancements, prosecutors said. The DA’s Office also filed a special-circumstance allegation involving multiple murders.
Smith’s arraignment and detention hearing was scheduled for Nov. 4 at 9 a.m. A judge must approve the request to prosecute him as an adult.
Police have not named the school involved in the 2025 shooting or said when Smith was released in that case.
In an update Saturday, police said a 16-year-old boy, a 19-year-old man and a 32-year-old man were in critical condition. A 23-year-old man was listed as critical but stable. Two other men, ages 19 and 43, were treated for gunshot wounds and released. The department’s arrest announcement did not include updated information on the victims’ conditions.
“Although an arrest has been made, our work is not over,” Fairfield police said. “The criminal justice process will now move forward, and we remain committed to ensuring accountability for the lives impacted by this senseless act of violence.”
Police asked anyone with information about the shooting to contact the department.
