JOHNSON COUNTY — An Ashe County man accused of robbing a Vilas store who shot and injured a Johnson County deputy in the ensuing chase across state lines has been found guilty of two counts of attempted first-degree murder.
According to The Tomahawk, a Johnson County jury found Joey A. Ponce, 35, of Ashe County, guilty Oct. 28, after a three-day trial, of two counts of attempted first-degree murder and two counts of employing a firearm with intent to go armed into the public. Ponce pleaded guilty during the trial to two other charges: evading arrest and theft of up to $1,000.
Judge Lisa Rice is scheduled to sentence Ponce at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 16, 2027, according to The Tomahawk.
Law enforcement officers were dispatched at 12:53 p.m. April 22, 2025, to a report of an armed robbery at the QP in Vilas. The suspect left and headed toward Tennessee.
Watauga County Sheriff’s Office deputies immediately began searching for the suspect, and a deputy spotted the vehicle crossing into Tennessee.
According to the TBI, Johnson County deputies spotted the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop, but Ponce refused to stop and a pursuit ensued. He exited the vehicle in the 5000 block of Hwy 421 at the Maymead plant near Mountain City and fired shots at deputies. Ponce then ran through a gravel lot and again fired shots, striking and injuring a deputy. Deputies returned fire, injuring Ponce. He was taken to Johnson County Medical Center and airlifted to Johnson City Medical Center.
The Johnson County sheriff’s deputy who was shot, Trevor Estrada, was hit in the upper thigh. He was transported to Watauga Medical Center, where he was released that same day.
According to The Tomahawk, Ponce testified in his own defense that he did not mean to shoot any officers. He claimed that three days before the incident, his girlfriend, the mother of his two young daughters, kicked him out after she fell in love with another man. He testified that he stole the gun he later used, attempted suicide, bought and consumed methamphetamine outside of Boone in an attempt to overdose, then decided to commit a crime large enough to get police to kill him.
Under Tennessee law, a person convicted of attempted first-degree murder may be sentenced to life in prison without parole if the court finds the person committed the offense against a law enforcement officer who was performing official duties, and that the person knew or reasonably should have known the victim was an officer.
According to the North Carolina Judicial Branch public portal, there are no pending Watauga County court cases listed for Ponce as of Oct. 28. In April 2025, the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office said Ponce would face a charge of felony robbery with a dangerous weapon in Watauga County.