ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — The United States Marshal’s Task Force has located the 24-year-old man responsible for the abduction of a 4-year-old child and his mother Saturday, the Rochester Police Department announced.
According to Rochester police, Daniel Ponder, 24, was located on Wellington Avenue.
After a short chase, RPD says they were able to take him safely into custody.
Ponder was taken to Monroe County Jail and was arraigned Sunday morning in Rochester City Court. He is due back in court March 30.
Ponder is charged with the following:
- Two counts of kidnapping in the second degree
- Burglary in the first degree
- Assault in the second degree
- Criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree
- Criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree
- Reckless endangerment in the second degree
- Endangering the welfare of a child
At 1:30 a.m. Saturday, RPD responded to the 400 block of Lake Avenue for a SpotShotter activation, as well as 911 calls reporting a man being chased.
Once officers arrived on scene, they located evidence of shots fired, and a victim who said he’d been shot at in a residence on nearby Fulton Street. Police said the victim ran from the home, when he was located by officers.
When the officers and victim returned to the residence, RPD said they found that a 4-year-old boy and his 23-year-old mother were missing from the location.
The search led to a house on Kenwood Avenue, in the southwest portion of the city. There, the RPD’s SWAT was activated and the residence was searched. However, the two were not found there, and an AMBER alert was released.
Within minutes of the alert, RPD said that law enforcement partners in the area reached out to assist in the investigation.
At around 3 p.m. investigators received a tip that the child was inside a home on Reynolds Street. Officers found both the boy and his mother at the house.
RPD adds the investigation into additional suspects remains ongoing.