Hells Angels, Vagos Fight Over Arizona

OFF THE WIRE
Expert Doesn't Believe Tension Will Ease Soon
Morgan Loew, CBS 5 News
CHINO VALLEY, Ariz. -- In the world of outlaw motorcycle clubs, power and territory are everything. But the most notorious motorcycle club in the world might be having trouble staking its claim on Arizona.

An expert on outlaw bikers said the Hells Angels, which have long considered the state their territory in the biker world, are having increasing trouble with other gangs moving in. Most recently, it was the Vagos motorcycle members who flexed their muscles during an Aug. 21 shootout in Chino Valley, and that flexing might not be over.

“They have coexisted sometimes, but the temperature has gone up lately,” said Steve Trethewy, a former Department of Public Safety outlaw biker investigator, who now works as the field coordinator for the Rocky Mountain Information Network.

Trethewy told CBS 5 News that the Vagos have an established chapter in Lake Havasu, but the Hells Angles control the rest of the state. The Hells Angels have chapters in Flagstaff, Cave Creek, Phoenix, Mesa and Tucson. Trethewy said, however, the Vagos have become more visible lately in Hells Angels territory.

“There’s no doubt they’ve grown in Arizona, and along with that growth, there seems to be a little more violence involved,” Trethewy said.

Over the past two years, the Angles and Vagos have fought in Mesa, Prescott, Bullhead City and Chino Valley. The August incident made headlines across Arizona.

Yavapai County sheriff’s deputies said the Angels and Vagos fired 50 shots at each other during the gunfight in a rural, but residential area on the August Saturday afternoon.

“We always knew there were Hells Angels and motorcycle people around. That’s what this place is. That’s what the wild west is about,” said Frank Oddo, who did not witness the shooting, but said he saw the law enforcement response.

“The response was huge. That’s what surprised me, living in such a rural area. The response was quick,” Oddo said.

No bystanders were hurt, but authorities said that was just luck.

“Whether it’s in a bar or out on the highway somewhere, the potential is there,” Trethewy said.

He said it was impossible to know whether these eruptions of violence would continue, or lead to something worse, adding that he doubts the tension will ease up any time soon.