Onterio Varrio Sur

Onterio Varrio Sur

Onterio Sur Sur Onta or OVS is a Chicano street gang from South Ontario, California. The gang consists of approximately 2500+ members and two sub-cliques known as the Junior Black Angels and Black Angels. The main varrio is Sunkist St. One of the oldest and most notorious varrios in San Bernardino county.

OVS began as a car club in the 1950s and gradually split into two rival cliques, the Black Angels and the Earth Angels. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a turf war occurred between the Earth Angels and the Black Angels.

During the mid 1980s the number of persons claiming "South Ontario" grew so that by the late 1980s members became known as "OVS" Ontario Varrio Sur." Circa 1988/1989, OVS sub-clique Black Angels were routinely recruited out of Onterio Sur. New members were considered junior to the already proven and established members and were referred to as "Junior BA's or Junior Black Angels." Currently, the main faction of OVS (Black Angels) is Sunkist Street.

One of the most notorious crimes associated with OVS was the June 22, 1987 murder of Mary Lou Davila-Salazar, her boyfriend and roommate at a home in the city of Ontario. Arrested for the murder was recently released parolee and OVS gang member Ruben "Tupie" Hernandez. Hernandez murdered Davila in retaliation for her role in the recent murder of fellow gang member "Tito" Marines. Hernandez was convicted in the late 1980s and sentenced to three consecutive life sentences in a California prison. During the mid 1990s (circa 1994/1995) and after the death of Mexican Mafia "EME" leader Joe "Peg Leg" Morgan, OVS (BA-Sunkist) member Ruben "Tupie" Hernandez assumed the leadership role of the Mexican Mafia, while housed in Pelican Bay State prison.

During that time period, EME members held talks and law enforcement quickly learned that a set of rules of conduct (edict) was drawn up and being disseminated by EME members to (non-incarcerated) street level gang members. The new rules included raising money, through drug sales and the taxation of local drug dealers, to be paid directly to EME members. Gang members were ordered to cease territorial battles and concentrate on the efforts of making money for the EME. In order to guarantee cooperation, the EME also instructed gangs that failure to comply would meet with swift retaliation by the EME, especially within the prison system. The money would be used to fund attorney's fees, post bail, purchase drugs and guns for EME members to help further their goals (existence).

During that time period, residential robberies were on the rise. Victims were mainly low level neighborhood drug dealers who fell victim to physical violence and death for failing to pay taxes. Law enforcement also saw the level of victim and witness cooperation go down considerably out of the fear of retaliation by members of the gang. The payment of taxes to local gang members in exchange for being allowed to sell drugs is still occurring and is considered by drug dealers to be an accepted part of doing business. The EME edict also directed the Hispanic gangs to take control of drug dealing in areas previously run by black gang members. Hispanic gangs were told to shoot any black person who got in their way. In 1995, Mexican American (chicano) gangs were responsible for at least 75 shootings of black people in Ontario alone. In the many years to follow, gang experts witnessed many incidents within the prison system and on the streets related to racial tensions between chicano and black gangs which continue today.

Through the use of informants, witnesses, victims and co-conspirators, law enforcement confirmed that money made from drug sales by gang members as well as taxes collected were being funneled back to EME members. It was also learned that gang members routinely "skimmed off the top" (stole) a portion of the money collected. Therefore only a fraction of the money collected was actually being sent to EME members. At times, gang members were retaliated upon when caught skimming. Money "skimmed" would be used to help street level gang members purchase ammunition, guns and drugs. We also saw an increase in the quality of and cars obtained by gang members to flaunt their newfound wealth and status.

As a result of their increased level of violence and dedication to the EME edict, OVS was given immediate status and recognition among Southern California gangs. This status made OVS a feared gang because they had the complete backing of the EME, in the prison system and out on the street. Onterio Sur became well known for collecting taxes, dealing drugs, and enforcing EME rules with the ability to assault or kill anyone in opposition.

The overall murder rate in Ontario during the 1980s averaged 11.8 per year. The 1990s showed a dramatic increase to about 18.3 per year mostly attributed to gang violence. In response, the police department increased the number of officers assigned to the gang unit who worked closely with the district attorney's office and parole and probation office, all of whom were establishing specialized units created to combat the increased gang presence and violence of the 1990s. Deputy District Attorneys Lyle Scallon and Mary Fuller were the first assigned to the areas gang prosecution unit. Both DA's initially struggled over the courts reluctance to accept expert testimony for use as means of prosecuting crimes committed by gang members. Once accepted, gang officers began a vigorous campaign to rid the city of gang violence. In early 2000, an attempt was made to attack Ontario's gang violence by establishing a federal taskforce designed to indict members under the Federal RICO statute.

After two years of work federal prosecutors failed to bring the project to fruition and the taskforce was abandoned. Intelligence information gathered during that case would later prove valuable in a second attempt at a Federal RICO case in 2009. The Federal Taskforce of 2009 began as a DEA drug case out of the Riverside DEA office staffed with two Ontario police officers. At the culmination of the case, more than 50 persons were indicted and arrested during an early morning sweep in April 2010. The aggressive nature of the police department's efforts and vigorous prosecution by the local district attorney's office, the DEA, FBI and federal prosecutors, has drastically reduced gang violence in Ontario.