Woodland gang investigators announce two arrests in 2019 shooting death of 16-year-old

Woodland police officers made two arrests recently in the killing of a 16-year-old, who was shot to death in 2019.

The shooting occurred around 7 p.m. on Oct. 21, 2019, near the intersection of East and North streets — a total of three people were shot. Among them was the 16-year-old, who died as a result.

A break in the case came on April 6, when Woodland gang task force members arrested Francisco Ponce, 22, during a traffic stop. Ponce was arrested on a warrant for murder, weapons violations and street gang enhancements, all of which were related to the 18-month-old case. He was booked into the Yolo County jail and remains in custody.

On Thursday, gang task force investigators headed to a state prison in Central California to take custody of Joseph Vincent Gonzalez II. He was booked into the Yolo County jail and also remains in custody.

By Friday, Gonzalez had been arraigned in court on charges of murder and attempted murder with enhancements for street gang activity and weapons violations. Gonzalez and Ponce’s cases will be heard together, according to Woodland police.

Gonzalez and Ponce will appear in court May 13, according to Yolo County court records.

“Gang related crimes including homicides are some of the hardest crimes for law enforcement to investigate,” the Woodland Police Department said in a prepared statement. “It is our hope that the arrest and subsequent arraignment of Ponce and Gonzalez sends a very clear message to those who intend to bring violence and gang activity to Woodland that while these crimes are sometimes hard to solve, we will not give up until they are.”