Father accused of murdering baby girl

Tuesday, July 29, 1997 | 5:47 a.m.

Santiago Ponce Jr. fatally shot 18-month-old Georgina Ponce Novelo near Nuevo Casas Grande in Chihuahua, Mexico, as he sat with her in a cab while on their way from Nuevo Casas Grande to another city in Chihuahua, Metro Police Sgt. Al Cervantes said.

The cab driver was also shot to death, in the back of the head.

After his daughter and the cab driver were killed on July 3, Ponce allegedly set the cab on fire and fled. Casas Grande is about 75 miles south of the Mexico-Arizona border.

Members of a joint team of FBI special agents and Metro officers, in contact with the Mexican consulate and Arizona authorities, were waiting for Ponce as he arrived at the downtown Las Vegas Greyhound bus depot from Arizona about 5 a.m. Thursday.

Ponce, in the United States illegally, was expected to be deported to Mexico "within days or weeks," Cervantes said.

He has several outstanding traffic warrants from Nye County. Police believe he was on his way to Overton, in Clark County, where his brother lives.

The traffic warrants have to be cleared by Nye County officials before Ponce can be deported, Cervantes said.

Mexican police have issued two murder warrants for Ponce's arrest and will serve those upon his arrival in Mexico, he said.

Ponce allegedly took Georgina from her mother's house in Los Angeles to Mexico. She was last seen July 2 getting into a cab with her father.

"In talking to the wife, I think he was just vindictive," Cervantes said. "If he can't have the child, then she can't, and nobody can. I think it was done more for spite."