Cops: “Mystery Wal-Mart Hero ID Confirmed”

According to reporting by Daniel Borunda in this morning’s El Paso Times.

In the midst of the chaos of the Walmart mass shooting on August 3, 2019 a figure can be seen running with a baby in his arms. El Paso police had been trying to determine the identity of the mystery hero. They now say they can confirm that the hero is a transient day-laborer named Lazaro Ponce. Ponce wasn’t aware that he was being searched for because he and his wife had moved on to Tennessee to look for work. Mr. Ponce and his wife live on the margins of society, looking for work where he can find it. At the time of the tragic shooting the Ponce’s were homeless, living in a make-shift shelter next to the Sam’s Club that was next to the Wal-mart.

A spokesperson of the El Paso Police Department says that, after speaking to Ponce, they were able to determine that his story matched up with eyewitness accounts from police, first responders, other witnesses and store security cams. Enough so that the police are now confirming that Lazaro Ponce IS the mystery hero. ‘

EPPD spokesman Sgt. Enrique Carrillo says that after taking the infant outside the store and into the arms of responders Ponce “ran back into store” filling a shopping cart with towels from the home goods department, using the towels to apply pressure to wounds and help other survivors.

Keep in mind, this was still in the chaotic moments of the event itself. Neither Ponce nor anyone else knew that the gunman had fled and the immediate danger had passed. That, good people, takes a lot of balls. This man deserves to be recognized and, given his circumstances, rewarded.

A GoFundMe was set up for “El Paso Walmart Shooting Hero” on January 6th by Ponce’s wife, identified in a separate report as Crystal Ann Roberts.

In light of the positive I.D. by the authorities and the selfless actions of Mr. Ponce I see no problem in sharing the page. You find it by clicking here.