The Advocate has obtained the uniform citation filed by the Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office in regard to an alleged attempted murder there and vehicle pursuit that continued through three counties before ending on Paris Pike in Montgomery County Thursday.
Juan Jose Garcia-Ponce, 20, of Paris, is being held at the Bourbon County Detention Center on charges. He is booked there on the following charges: murder (attempt); assault, first; theft by unlawful taking; criminal mischief, first; leaving the scence of an accident-failure to render aid or assistance; fleeing or evading police, first; wanton endangerment, first degree-police officer; wanton endangerment, first degree; reckless driving; and assault, third degree, police officer or probation officer.
The citation, filed by Bourbon County Sheriff’s Det. David Thompson, alleges that Garcia-Ponce stabbed his friend with the intent to kill him over a reported theft of money from his younger brother.
The friend, a male, according to Sheriff Brent Wilson, was transported to the University of Kentucky Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.
The Winchester Police Dept., who was also at one time involved in the pursuit, erroneously shared on social media Thursday the victim had died. The dept. later corrected the error. The victim's name has not been released.
Winchester Police Chief Travis Thompson said his office was notified of the stabbing incident and that the suspect might be headed towards Winchester.
"Patrol Officers responded to the area and shortly thereafter located the suspect vehicle inbound passing Rolling Hills Lane (Industrial Park). Patrolman Blake Smithson & Patrolman Blake Gabbard attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle and it failed to yield. Due to the serious, violent nature of the offense, I authorized our officers to pursue this vehicle," Thompson said in a social meida post.
"Our officers gave chase as the vehicle sped through downtown, Westbound on Lexington Avenue, Eastbound on I-64, exited at exit 96 Paris Road, Northbound towards Paris, Eastbound on Spears Mill Road, Northbound on U.S. 460 to North Middletown, North on Levy Road, East on Bunker Hill into Montgomery County and Judy, Southbound on Hwy. 11 back to U.S. 460 towards Bourbon County," Thompson's statement continued.
"As we pursued this vehicle, we were assisted by the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office, Paris Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and Mt. Sterling Police Department. Officers performed a PIT maneuver on the vehicle to end the pursuit near the Montgomery/Bourbon County line on U.S. 460 and successfully took the suspect into custody without further incident."
"This was an excellent collaboration of multiple law enforcement agencies to successfully apprehend a violent fleeing felon. I cannot say enough about the professionalism that was shown today by the officers involved and our communications center staff as this pursuit lasted 42 minutes from start to apprehension," Thompson's statement concluded.
Montgomery County Sheriff David Charles told the Advocate yesterday his dept. was asked to assist considering the suspect’s status as a “dangerous fleeing felon with a total disregard for people’s lives."
The stabbing incident reportedly occurred about noon Thursday in the 700 block of Stoney Point Road in Bourbon County.
According to the citation, Garcia-Ponce then allegedly proceeded to unlawfully take his friend’s vehicle, hit a fence causing $1,000 in damage and left the scene, eventually leading law enforcement from three counties on a pursuit.
While Garcia-Ponce was being medically cleared at Centerpoint Health in Paris, the citation claims he was interviewed under Miranda with a translator and allegedly stated he made up a reason to be alone with the victim and reportedly used his own knife to stab him with intent to
kill him.
Garcia-Ponce then allegedly unlawfully took the vehicle and fled law enforcement allegedly because he was afraid they were ICE agents, the citation staes.
Garcia-Ponce was medically cleared and transported from the hospital to the BCDC without further incident, the citation states.
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