Local man arrested after alleged attack on girlfriend, shots fired
Sheriff’s files
STEVEN MROSS
The Sentinel-Record staff
A local man who had been sought since Wednesday afternoon in connection with an alleged attack on his girlfriend and shots fired outside his residence was arrested Thursday morning.
Mickie Joe Ponder, 24, who lists an address of 107 Ebony Way, was initially taken into custody on a warrant for failure to appear and was later charged with third-degree domestic battery and Garland County Sheriff’s deputy A.J. Tart said additional charges could be pending in the case.
Ponder was still being held Thursday afternoon without bond and is set to appear Oct. 9 in Garland County District Court.
According to reports, a neighbor, 64, of the suspect called around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday to report hearing an argument across the street from her on Ebony Way, located off the 1200 block of Blacksnake Road.
She states she looked out and saw the suspect, identified as Ponder, and the victim, 23, yelling at each other and then she heard gunshots. She states the suspect had the victim on the ground at one point and then Ponder and the victim both left the scene in a black 1999 Dodge pickup.
Another witness, 34, who lives in the neighborhood, said she also heard the fight and looked out to see Ponder firing several shots at a white Ford SUV parked in the yard while he was standing in the doorway of his house.
The incident report indicates there were 10 bullet holes noted in the SUV, which was still at the scene when deputies arrived.
The second witness stated she also saw Ponder and the victim leave the scene in a black pickup.
The report notes Ponder and the victim have a 6-month-old daughter together and have been living together off and on.
Sheriff ’s investigators responded to the scene and interviewed several witnesses and were later able to interview the girlfriend, who was not seriously injured, but Ponder could not be located and was still being sought for questioning Wednesday evening.
