On March 25, 2010, Tulare County Superior Court Judge Joseph Kalashian imposed a prison sentence of 7 years 4 months on 24-year-old Tommy Gabriel Ponce of Visalia. The defendant pled guilty to one count of transportation of methamphetamine, one count of willful evasion of an officer, and one count of possession of burglar’s tools on March 4, 2010. At the time Ponce entered his plea, he also admitted a prior conviction for transportation of methamphetamine and two prior convictions of possession for sale of methamphetamine.

On October 6, 2009, Ponce was stopped in a residential neighborhood after evading police for close to a mile. Officer Joshua Walsh attempted to stop Ponce after a citizen complained that eggs had been thrown into a crowd from Ponce’s car. Ponce admitted that he evaded police because he did not want his car towed. A subsequent inventory search prior to the tow of Ponce’s car revealed methamphetamine and shaved keys commonly used in auto thefts.

This case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Matt Darby and investigated by officers Joshua Walsh and Shane Logan of the Visalia Police Department.

Contact Person: Assistant District Attorney, Shani D. Jenkins (559) 733-6411