Photo: Christian Jesus Ponce
Santa Barbara County – 21-year-old Santa Maria resident Christian Jesus Ponce was arrested on the morning of December 28th. He has been charged with multiple allegations of sexual assault. Immediately following his arrest, he was transported to Santa Barbara County Jail, where he remains in custody with his bail set at $200,000.
According to Santa Maria Police Department spokesman Sgt. Andy Magallon, an investigation into Ponce’s activities began on November 16, 2018. At that time police were “notified of a sexual assault in the city, but had limited information.”
Like so many other such cases, this one “remained open” without a named suspect. On December 2nd, the cops received a call for service and learned of “another sexual assault with similar circumstances.” The evidence gathered during the ensuing investigation indicated that those circumstances “were linked to the same individual.”
Further investigation by the Santa Maria Police Detective Bureau lead to the identification of Ponce as the primary suspect in both assault cases. Detectives made contact with him at his residence, whereupon he was taken into custody and arrested.
Detectives believe “there may be other victims” and request public assistance to locate them via the Anonymous Tip Line at (805) 928-3781.
Photo: Courtesy Santa Maria Police Department, Santa Barbara County Jail Booking.
