Jury finds Aurora gang member guilty of first-degree murder in case of mistaken identity

AURORA, Ill. - It took a jury three hours to find Aurora gang member Cesar Ponce guilty of first-degree murder in the 2021 shooting death of Samuel Ortiz-Rodriguez, a 46-year-old man mistaken for a rival gang member.

Ortiz-Rodriguez was murdered on the afternoon of May 24, 2021, outside an Aurora residence, according to a statement from the Kane County state's attorney's office.

Ponce, 19, faces a minimum of 35 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections at his pending sentencing, and remains in custody at the Kane County jail, where he has been held in lieu of $1 million bail since his arrest. Judge David Kliment revoked Ponce's bond after his conviction.

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On May 24, Ponce, Fidel Bello and another fellow member of the same street gang went in search of rival gang members, the statement said. While walking through a part of Aurora that was considered to be rival gang territory, the group spotted people outside a residence.

Cesar Ponce, 19. (Kane County state's attorney's office)

Ponce pointed out the individuals, one of them being Ortiz-Rodriguez of Aurora. Armed with a revolver, Bello allegedly shot and killed him. Ortiz-Rodriguez was not a street gang member, the state's attorney's office said.

"Mr. Ponce and his co-defendant were basically hunting for a rival gang member to shoot and kill. Samuel Ortiz-Rodriguez did not need to die that day," said Assistant State's Attorney Lori Anderson.

Judge Kliment set Ponce’s next court appearance for May 3 at the Kane County Judicial Center for post-trial motions and sentencing.

Bello is charged with first-degree murder and his case is pending. The third individual was not charged.