Rival club chieftain arrested in Hells Angels leader's death
- view video - SAN JOSE: SJ Hells Angels mourn death of club's president
Video updated on: 2011.09.30 at 12:36 AM PDT
Story posted 2011.09.30 at 07:45 AM PDT
University of California, San Francisco police have arrested the suspect in the slaying of the president of a Hells Angels chapter at a Nevada casino.
UCSF Assistant Police Chief Paul Berlin says 53-year-old Ernesto Manuel Gonzalez was taken into custody after he was spotted by an officer just a block from campus police headquarters around 8:20 p.m. Thursday.
Gonzalez was apparently in a parked 2011 Chevrolet Malibu.
He is being held pending the arrival of police from Sparks, Nev., where he is accused of killing Jeffrey "Jethro" Pettigrew inside a casino on Sept. 23.
Authorities say Gonzalez is an alleged member of the Vagos gang and shot the 51-year-old Pettigrew four times in the back.
Pettigrew was the president of the San Jose chapter of the Hells Angels.
On Thursday, members of the chapter gathered to mourn Pettigrew death while the flag out the clubhouse was flying at half staff.
"He will be very missed," said Hells Angel Steve Tauson. "Jethro Pettigrew was a fantastic Hells Angel and a fantastic friend."
Hells Angel and bail bondsman Steve Tauson showed photos of his one-legged, single-parent friend who he said could belt out country western songs, told jokes and loved life. And for more than 20 years, Pettigrew worked for the city of San Jose as a backhoe operator.
"They think everybody's up to no good when that's not the truth. Not everybody's a felon, Jethro wasn't a felon, I'm not a felon," insisted Tauson.
Nevada authorities revealed Thursday that security video at the casino shows Gonzales shooting Pettigrew four times in the back.
"He might want to come to Sparks and turn himself in," said Washoe County District Attorney Richard Gammick. "We'll give him due process, the Hells Angels aren't going to give him due process."
San Jose police will only say they're preparing for crowds for Pettigrew's funeral there in two weeks.
"We have a responsibility to make sure that happens safely," said Sergeant Jason Dwyer.
Police say the safest thing for everyone would be for the suspected killer to be behind bars before the Hells Angels president is buried here next month.
