Missing person found in mini van murdered.

Eileen Ponce-Orta was reported missing by her family on Thursday, Feburary 14, 2008.
News reports are conflicting, either on Friday the 15th or Saturday the 16th, Ponce-Orta's mini van was found by Pomona Police in a City Hall parking area reserved for police. The Officer who found the vehicle, inspected the vehicle from the outside and apparently observed nothing suspicious. He ran a check on the vehicle and then notified Covina Police with whom the missing persons report was filed. Ponce-Orta's family was notified that the vehicle was found and to retrieve it before it was towed away. When they arrived they found Ponce-Orta under some blankets, clothes and other items. She had been fataly stabbed in the neck. Pomona Police are investigating both the murder and the actions of the Officer who initially found the mini van.
Joseph Gary Orta, a parolee and cousin of Nick Orta, Ponce-Orta's husband, is being held on parole violations and being questioned in the murder of Ponce-Orta.
What is not clear in this newscast or any of the reports that I read is the circumstances of Orta's daughter. In this newscast it is stated that the daughter was seen with Joseph Orta, but it was not said if the she had been missing as well or if she was with Joseph Orta when he was arrested.

Additional information taken from
LA Times dated February 19, 2008

According to Ponce-Orta's mother, Tracy Ponce, Eileen and Nick Orta had been having trouble and were in counseling. She said that it was unusual for Ponce-Orta to stay away from home for more than one night and that she had not been heard from since Tuesday the 12th.
Ponce filed the police report Thursday the 14th after the authorities showed up at her home to tell her that Ponce-Orta's two year old daughter had been dropped off at the local police station. A relative of Nick Orta (presumably Joseph Orta) had left the child with another family member, who then took the girl to the police station.
"Eileen and her daughter were almost never separated." Ponce said. "That's how we knew something was wrong. An alarm went off."
The police notified the family on Friday the 15th that the vehicle was found.
"They said they located Eileen's van and that there were no signs of foul play and no blood." Ponce said. "I said, oh well, that's a relief."
When the family arrived at the location of the vehicle, Tracy Ponce opened the sliding door and lifted a blanket and saw a leg. Her son Ricky pulled away and he and Nick Orta jumped in the back seat and threw off the blankets to reveal that it was Eileen.

Several news sources reported that Joseph Gary Orta, a reputed gang member with a felony record including attempted murder, had been arrested Saturday the 16th by the San Bernardino Sheriffs Dept for parole violations and is considered a "person of interest" in the murder of Eileen Ponce-Orta.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• MojaveRanger
• Eilene
• Ponce-Orta
• missing
• person
• found
• in
• mini
• van
• murdered
• stabbed
• Pomona
• Covina
• Police
• FOX
• news
• LA
• Times

[VannieBop]

forensics would have to undergo a very thorough investagation of the vehical they found her in and im not 100% sure whether they would need a search warrent fo go through the van...sorry im rambling. I go on forever with this stuff..I honestly dont know what to say about this situation becuase where i grew up there were alot of murders

[MojaveRanger]

Hey Vannie,

This is a tricky situation. A vehicle being illegally parked is not reasonable cause to search. Even with a missing person report it would not automatically be reasonable cause because there could be many reasons for a person to be missing. Many people that are reported missing don't want to be found or show up when they're ready.

If the Officer saw something suspicious, for example blood, a weapon or the woman's purse with contents spilled out, then he would have had cause.

[MojaveRanger]

Also, not knowing the details of the missing person report it would be difficult to say if there was sufficient reason to suspect foul play.

The only thing I could say should have been done different would be that the police should have been present when the family arrived and inspect the inside with their consent.

[VannieBop]

true true. it is rather tricky in my opinion but we might not know all the details of it all. but i honestly hope they catch the person taht did what they did to that poor woman

[MojaveRanger]

Hey Vannie,

I couldn't find an update on the "person of interest", Joseph Orta, the cousin of Ilene's husband Nick. As of yesterday the police have not officially named him as a suspect.

However, an artcle I hadn't found before said that Ilene's mother filed the missing person report after the police advised her that Ilene's two year old daughter had been left by a relative of Nick Orta, presumably Joseph Orta, then subsequently brought to the police station.

[slickywicked]

If they said the vehicle was found in a city hall parking lot, which it clearly shows were they found the vehicle it should of been searched.

1. A missing person report was issued.

2. Missing persons vehicle found on city property abandoned.

Hello? What more do they need to figure out that something was wrong? Let me guess, they needed a hand to be sticking out of the vehicle? That would be too easy that even a child could figure it out.

[crazyvideo909]

That's bull my dad parked his truck infront of our house in Pomona and a cop searched it because it had out of state plates but they couldn't search an abandoned Van

[chrismacciuss]

OK Then what is the purpose of filing a missing person's report if the cop's are not allowed to look? That is a crock of shit.They will go in a house for a welfare check if some one is worried that they have not saw their neighbor in a while.SO I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ONCE THAT REPORT IS FILED THAT IS PROBABLE CAUSE FOR SUSPICION.THEY ARE FULL OF SHIT!!!!!!!

[97Siren]

What kind of minivan was it?

[threedaysgracekid1]

@ slickywicked

they're 2 stupid 2 look inside the car. or maybe they had 2 much coffee.

[footeze226]

See my video response above - help stop these crimes

[freedomglitter]

Lazy cops.

They cant put the donut down for 2 minutes to take a look INSIDE the van.

Thats why they rather tase someone that tackle someone.

Sick. Protect and to serve, huh? ..... Who??

[cherrylexxx]

i lice right next to there a block away