Tiburcio Vasquez – California Desperado
Tiburcio Vasquez, a name etched in the annals of California history, conjures images of a dashing desperado, a figure of both fear and fascination. Born on August 11, 1835, in Monterey, Vasquez’s lineage connected him to the very foundations of California. His great-grandfather, a young man at the time, arrived with the DeAnza expedition in 1776, embedding the Vasquez family deep within the region’s early narrative. From a young age, Tiburcio received an education that set him apart, acquiring the ability to speak, read, and write English – a skill that would prove both advantageous and ironic in his tumultuous life.
Vasquez’s descent into outlawry began in 1852, at the tender age of seventeen. A local fandango, a festive gathering filled with music and dance, turned violent. During a brawl, Constable William Hardmount met his demise. Though not directly implicated in the killing, Vasquez and his older cousin, Anastacio Garcia, fled the scene, fearing the consequences. This flight would be a turning point in Vasquez’s life. Adding to the tragedy, a friend of Vasquez who was present at the fight, Jose Higuera, didn’t flee and was subsequently lynched by vigilantes the following day.
Already branded an outlaw, Garcia sought refuge in the hills, and Vasquez, finding himself alongside his cousin, was drawn into the world of crime. He readily absorbed the "business" from Garcia, quickly joining a gang of like-minded desperados. Soon, his charisma and audacity propelled him to the forefront, and he became the leader of the group.
Tiburcio Vasquez, a charismatic figure, often justified his actions by claiming he was "punishing" white settlers for their discriminatory treatment of people of Mexican and Spanish descent. Riding across central and southern California, he orchestrated the theft of hundreds of horses, leaving a trail of resentment and fear in his wake.
In the spring of 1857, the law finally caught up with Vasquez after a particularly brazen act of horse rustling in Los Angeles. He was apprehended and sentenced to five years in the infamous San Quentin State Prison. His confinement, however, was not without incident. In 1859, he briefly escaped, only to be recaptured while once again attempting to steal horses. This earned him a return trip to San Quentin. Released in 1863, Vasquez made a fleeting attempt to lead a law-abiding life. However, the lure of crime proved too strong to resist, and he soon reverted to his old ways, adding armed robbery to his repertoire.
By 1867, Tiburcio Vasquez found himself back in the clutches of the law, arrested for a failed attempt to rob a store in Mendocino. Another short stint in San Quentin followed. Upon his release, he returned to Monterey, where he was severely wounded in a dispute with Abelardo Salazar over Salazar’s wife. Seeking refuge, Vasquez retreated to a hideout at Cantua Creek in the Coast Range, where he recuperated from his injuries. However, the allure of the outlaw life proved too strong, and he soon resumed his criminal activities.
August 17, 1871, marked another significant event in the life of Tiburcio Vasquez. He and two other outlaws robbed the Visalia stagecoach en route between San Jose and Pacheco Pass. Sheriff Charles Lincoln quickly formed a posse and pursued the bandits. In the ensuing confrontation, one outlaw was killed, Vasquez was wounded, and the third was captured. Despite his injuries, Vasquez managed to escape once again, returning to his familiar sanctuary at Cantua Creek.
After recovering from his wounds, Vasquez resumed his outlaw ways. On August 26, 1873, his gang robbed Snyder’s Store in Tres Pinos, San Benito County. The robbery netted them around $200 in gold, but the incident was marred by tragedy: three innocent bystanders were killed. While Vasquez was already a wanted man, the deaths of the bystanders escalated the pursuit significantly. Governor Newton Booth immediately offered a $1,000 reward for his capture, a sum that would increase dramatically as Vasquez continued to evade the authorities.
Over the following months, Tiburcio Vasquez continued his life of crime, skillfully eluding the posses by hiding in the rugged canyons around the Tejon Pass. One of his favorite hiding places was a distinctive, steeply sloped rock formation located approximately 40 miles north of Los Angeles. Today, this area is known as Vasquez Rocks, a testament to the outlaw’s association with the landscape.
By December 1873, Vasquez and his gang had returned to the San Joaquin Valley in Fresno County, where they raided the town of Kingston on December 26. The gang bound their victims and looted over $2,500 from two stores. This brazen act prompted the governor to increase the reward for Vasquez’s capture, initially to $3,000, then to $6,000, and eventually to a staggering $15,000 as the robberies continued. Sheriffs from Fresno, Tulare, San Joaquin, Santa Clara, and Monterey Counties joined forces, organizing posses to hunt down the notorious Vasquez Gang.
Ironically, it was Vasquez’s "womanizing" that ultimately led to his downfall. While hiding out at the cabin of "Greek George" Caralambo, a former camel driver for General Beale, the outlaw seduced a young woman who lived nearby, resulting in her pregnancy.
This affair enraged one of the girl’s family members, Abdon Leiva, a formerly trusted henchman of Vasquez. Leiva contacted the authorities and agreed to provide evidence against him. Armed with this new information, Los Angeles Sheriff William Roland quickly tracked Vasquez down, and the bandit was finally captured in the Arroyo Seco area of Los Angeles on May 13, 1874.
News of Vasquez’s capture spread like wildfire, and news reporters clamored for interviews. In his statements, the outlaw portrayed himself as an honorable man who sought only the return of California to Mexico. Vasquez was subsequently moved from Los Angeles to San Benito County, then to San Jose for trial. He became a celebrity and folk hero to many Hispanic Californians, with hundreds of people visiting him, many of whom were women. The charming Vasquez entertained them all, posing for photographs and giving out autographs. He even sold many of the photographs from his cell window to fund his legal defense.
In January 1875, the trial of Tiburcio Vasquez began. While he admitted his involvement in many of the crimes attributed to him, he vehemently denied ever having killed anyone. However, his pleas were in vain. He was found guilty of two counts of murder in connection with the Tres Pinos incident and sentenced to death. Governor Romualdo Pacheco denied clemency. On March 19, 1875, Vasquez was hanged by Santa Clara Sheriff John H. Adams. "Pronto" (Spanish for "soon") was the only word he uttered from the gallows. He was buried in the old Santa Clara Mission Cemetery in Santa Clara.
Vasquez’s loyal lieutenant, Clodovio Chavez, fled to Arizona after his leader’s capture. On November 25, 1875, Chavez was shot and killed when he resisted arrest by lawmen near Yuma, Arizona, bringing an end to the remaining vestiges of the Vasquez Gang. The legend of Tiburcio Vasquez, the California desperado, continues to resonate, a complex tale of crime, charisma, and cultural conflict in the Wild West.