A Santa County Superior Court jury last week convicted a San Jose pastor and former head of a local community activist group of a domestic violence attack.

Prosecutors said Ray Fitzgerald Montgomery, 59, violently assaulted and strangled a 42-year-old woman in 2024 in his home. She told a friend, took photographs of herself, went to the hospital, and later told police.

Before he was charged, Montgomery filed a lawsuit against the woman claiming she was defaming him by falsely accusing him of the attack.

After the trial, the jury on July 2 took three hours to find the former executive director of People Acting in Community Together (PACT) guilty of misdemeanor domestic violence. His sentencing is set for Sept. 8. “We believe domestic violence victims,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said after the verdict. “Lawsuits and lying will never stop us from seeking justice for those who are hurt by their partners.”

On the night of June 6, 2024, prosecutors said the victim went to the home of Montgomery, with whom she had a relationship.

Evidence presented at trial showed that during an argument, Montgomery picked the victim up and dragged her down the hallway. She told him to stop, but he refused, eventually beginning to strangle her by pressing her neck between his forearm and bicep. Around that time, she felt she was about to lose consciousness when she felt him release her, causing her to then collapse on the floor. The victim then ran, hid in the bathroom and called a friend to rescue her.

The next day, prosecutors said the victim went to Stanford Hospital and reported the incident. She contacted the San Jose Police Department on Nov. 26, 2024, to report the defendant’s identity and the incident location. She provided follow-up statements to detectives on Dec. 13 and Dec. 17, 2024.

In 2025, Montgomery filed a lawsuit against the victim. That suit accused the victim of causing his forced resignation from PACT. The lawsuit is pending.