Tiburcio Vásquez was the last of the famous banditos to terrorize California and his death marked the end of a turbulent and often violent era that occurred after California's independence from Mexico. He was born to José Hermenegildo Vásquez and Maria Guadalupe Cantua (daughter of Guadalupe Cantua) in 1835 in Monterey, Alta California. His first brush with the law came in 1854, when he murdered Constable William Hardmount in a Monterey fandango. With the law in pursuit, Vásquez headed for the hills near Idria and Cantua where two uncles, previous members of the Joaquín Murrieta gang, still lived.
Vásquez was sent to San Quentin Prison in 1857 for stealing horses but escaped after two years and hid near Idria. He was recaptured after a few month and remained in prison until his release in 1863. He immediately returned to a life of crime and did another three years at San Quentin Prison. He was released in 1870 and joined the murderous band of thieves lead by "Red Handed Dick." They made their headquarters at Idria, where Tiburcio's sister lived. An agreement between the mining company and the gang, to ignore the gang's presence so long as the did not molest mine operations. provided them relatively safe heaven. However, Vásquez's crime spree in the surrounding area, becoming evermore bold and common, became intolerable in August 1873 when the gang robbed Snyder's General Store at Tres Pinos, murdering George Redford, Leander Davidson and Martin.
Leaving Tres Pinos for their Idria hideout, they had breakfast the following morning at Lorenzo Vasquez's place near Laguna mountain, then headed for Picacho and then on to Idria. But their murderous treachery proceeded them and they were quickly forced to leave. They sought refuge by escaping to southern California where they managed to elude capture for several months by hiding in the Tejon Pass area. Vásquez was finally given up by another gang member, Abdon Leiva. Vásquez had been having an affair with Leiva's wife Rosaria and in jealousy, Leiva turned himself into authorities and agreed to turn State's evidence against Vásquez. Vásquez was finally captured in May of 1874 in the Arroyo Seco area of Los Angeles. He was returned for trial, convicted of the Tres Pinos murders, and was hanged on March 19, 1875 in Santa Clara, California.
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Tiburcio Vásquez