On an evening in late May, 2021, 46-year-old Samuel Ortiz-Rodriguez of Aurora was standing outside a residence talking with a few individuals. At that moment, three street-gang members from a nearby neighborhood walked by and mistakenly identified him as a member of a rival gang. One of the gang members shot him dead.
Cesar J. Ponce, 19, one of the street gang members involved in the killing, has now been convicted of first-degree murder by a Kane County jury.
On May 24, 2021 at 7:30 p.m., Ponce and two fellow members of the same street gang went in search of rival gang members. A co-defendant, also charged with first-degree murder, was armed with a revolver. While walking through a part of Aurora that was considered to be territory of a rival gang, they spotted individuals outside of a residence. Ponce pointed out those individuals, one of them being Ortiz-Rodriguez of Aurora. The co-defendant then shot and killed Ortiz-Rodriguez. Ortiz-Rodriguez was not a street gang member.
“Mr. Ponce and his co-defendant were basically hunting for a rival gang member to shoot and kill,” said Kane Count Assistant State’s Attorney Lori Anderson about the verdict. “Samuel Ortiz-Rodriguez did not need to die that day. I want to thank the numerous citizens who came forward and assisted the Aurora Police Department with this investigation. They are a necessary and vital part of the Aurora Police Department’s efforts to keep the city safe.
Judge David P. Kliment set Ponce’s next court appearance for May 3, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. in Courtroom 305 at the Kane County Judicial Center for post-trial motions and sentencing. Ponce faces a minimum sentence of 35 years of imprisonment in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Ponce remains in custody at the Kane County jail, where he had been held in lieu of $1 million bail since his arrest. Judge Kliment revoked bond upon conviction.
