Ponce changes plea to guilty during sentencing

TAMPA (FOX 13) - The man prosecutors said killed a man in a drunk driving accident and later fled the country in an attempt to avoid the potential consequences was in court Friday for sentencing after accepting a plea deal. 

But at the last minute, defendant Christoper Ponce changed his plea from no contest to guilty - a move the judge said he had never before seen.

Prosecutors say back in July 2012, Ponce was driving drunk and the wrong way on I-275 when he crashed into William Angel's car, killing him and severely injuring his passengers.

Ponce was given bond but didn't stick around. He cut off his ankle monitor and fled to Spain. His case was featured on John Walsh's show "The Hunt."

He was caught in Spain three and half years later.

Ponce pleaded guilty on all charges including vehicular manslaughter, DUI causing injury, tampering with his monitoring device, and failure to appear.

Those charges were left off of the official extradition paperwork, causing uncertainty about whether they could be dropped, but Ponce and his attorney waived all objections to those two additional charges.

Both of the passengers inside the car Ponce crashed into gave statements at the sentencing.

One of them described laying across the engine block of the mangled vehicle and the crash and watching his best friend - William Angel - die next to him.

William Angel’s parents, Wade and Lynn Angel also made statements.

Ponce will serve between 4 and 15 years in a Florida state prison. He will never be able to drive again, in any state, or drink alcohol.

Ponce will also be on probation for 10 years after he’s released from prison.