Tiburcio Vásquez
Tiburcio Vásquez is a notable figure in American history, recognized as both a Latino outlaw and folk hero. Born in Monterey, California, around the mid-1830s, his early life was marked by a mix of education and family connections to California's colonial past. His criminal activities began in his teenage years, leading to a life characterized by robberies and horse theft. Vásquez’s notoriety grew after a series of high-profile crimes in the early 1870s, including a violent robbery in Tres Pinos that resulted in multiple fatalities, which ultimately led to his capture in 1874.
Despite his criminal reputation, Vásquez has been viewed by some as a symbol of resistance against the encroachment of Caucasian Americans in California post the 1848 gold rush. His trial and subsequent execution in 1875 garnered significant attention, and he became a controversial figure, celebrated by some as a hero and reviled by others as a villain. To this day, places like Vásquez Rocks and Vásquez Canyon serve as reminders of his legacy, reflecting his complex role in the cultural history of California.
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Subject Terms
Tiburcio Vásquez
American outlaw and folk hero
- Born: August 11, 1835
- Birthplace: Monterey, California
- Died: March 19, 1875
- Place of death: San Jose, California
Vásquez is one of the most famous Latino bandits in the United States. Many myths surround his life, several portraying him as a folk hero. His criminal career lasted for more than twenty years. Vásquez claimed he was trying to drive “invading Americans” out of California, so Mexico could reclaim it.
Early Life
Tiburcio Vásquez (tee-BUR-see-oh VAHS-kehz) is one of the most well-known Latino outlaws and folk heroes. It is impossible to separate the myths from the facts about his life; many sources give conflicting information. He was born in Monterey California, but his birth date is unclear; later in life, while he was in prison, Vasquez told a reporter from the Los Angeles Star his birth year was 1835 and he told a reporter from the Los Angeles Herald it was 1837. His tombstone lists only a year, 1835. Vásquez’s parents, José Hermenegildo Vásquez and Maria Guadalupe Cantua, had five other children—three sons and two daughters. Vásquez’s father owned a small area of land and worked as a farmer. Vásquez’s great-grandfather is believed to have been part of the 1776 Juan Bautista de Anza expedition, which was the first European attempt to establish an overland route from Mexico to California’s Pacific coast. Vásquez attended school, spoke English and Spanish, and could read and write proficiently. His criminal career began as a teenager in 1854 (some sources say 1852 or 1853). Vásquez was at a dance when a fight broke out between several Latino, American, and Irish men. Constable William Hardmount was shot and killed trying to break up the fight. Vásquez fled with Anastacio Garcia, a dangerous bandit. Garcia taught Vásquez how to be an outlaw and bandit. Vásquez often explained his crimes as his effort to reclaim California from the invading Caucasian Americans, who began to arrive after the discovery of gold in 1848.
Life’s Work
Vásquez began his life of crime as a robber and horse thief. He was arrested the first time in 1857 and sentenced to five years in San Quentin prison. Vásquez escaped during a breakout in June, 1859, but he was recaptured the following month, after being caught stealing horses. The escape added an another year to Vásquez’s sentence, and he was released in 1863. Vásquez was suspected in the murder of a butcher in 1864, but there was insufficient evidence for an arrest. Following a robbery a few years later, Vásquez was back in prison. After his release in 1870, he was wounded in at least two separate gunfights; one with a friend whose wife Vásquez was having an affair with and the other with a sheriff. Vásquez routinely recruited new members for his gang, and in 1871 he met Abdon Leiva. It was not until 1873 that Vásquez became known throughout California and the rest of the country. In August, 1873, Vásquez and his gang robbed a store in Tres Pinos. They stole more than two thousand dollars and eleven horses. In the process of the crime, three bystanders were shot and killed. The gang robbed a store near Millerton in November, and the entire town of Kingston in December. By February, 1874, the reward for capturing Vásquez alive was eight thousand dollars. He was captured May 15, 1874, after a tip led sheriffs to the ranch where he was hiding. Vásquez was put on trial the following January, for the murders during the Tres Pinos robbery. Several reporters interviewed Vásquez, during which he claimed never to have killed anyone. While he never married, Vásquez did admit having a year-old child with Rosaria Leiva, the wife of a gang member. Vásquez had a reputation for being a womanizer, reportedly seducing and impregnating his own niece. Hundreds flocked to the jail to catch a glimpse of the bandit each day. The jury convicted him in two hours, sentencing Vásquez to death by hanging. Vásquez was executed in San Jose March 19, 1875, in front of a large paying audience.
Significance
Vásquez is remembered as both a hero to Mexican Americans and a murdering outlaw. He is described as being average looking, five foot seven inches tall, and uncommon enough to blend into a crowd. Despite this, Vásquez was a notorious womanizer, even having affairs with wives of his friends. A rock formation in Los Angeles County has been renamed Vásquez Rocks because the bandit used them as a hideout in the months before his last capture. The park is located only forty miles north of Los Angeles and has been used in several films and television shows. Vásquez Canyon, created by a tributary of Big Tujunga Creek, is another of the bandit’s favorite hideouts that has been renamed in his honor.
Bibliography
Boessenecker, John. Bandido: The Life and Times of Tiburcio Vásquez. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2010. A biography of Vásquez, exploring why he became a bandit, why the Hispanic community protected him, and whether he was a cold-blooded murderer or a Robin Hood figure. Boessenecker attempts to undercover the real story of Vásquez, hidden beneath decades of myths and legends. Well researched, scholarly, yet suitable for the general reader.
Crongeyer, Sven. Six Gun Sound. Fresno, Calif.: Linden, 2006. The early history of the Los Angeles County sheriff’s department. Includes a chapter detailing Vásquez’s various arrests, prison sentences, escapes, trial, and eventual hanging. Written by a deputy sheriff, well researched, and suitable for the general readers.
MacLean, Angus. California Banditos. Sanger, Calif.: Word Dancer Press, 2004. This reprint from 1977 is a collection of legends about Vásquez, told as entertaining narratives. Also includes the author’s attempts to distinguish the truth behind the myths.
Secrest, William. California Desperadoes. Sanger, Calif.: Word Dancer Press, 2000. Thoroughly researched, based on newspaper accounts, courthouse records, and other historic documents. The chapter on Vásquez includes personal letters and the transcript of an interview between the bandit and a reporter in 1874. Firsthand accounts of the bandit from law enforcement and others who knew him are also included.