Jesus Valenzuela, a Sonoran, born in Pueblo de Murrieta, was a brother of Joaquin Valenzuela, under the alias of "Joaquin Ocomorenia" one of the named Five Joaquins of the Five Joaquins Gang, and a cousin of Joaquin Murrieta. Jesus Valenzuela was believed to have been a member of one of the bands of that gang led by Tres Dedos. Following the breakup of that gang after the Battle of the Cantua, he became a companion of Jack Powers who he called his "patrón". He was accused by the San Luis Obispo Vigilance Committee of being a participant with Pio Linares and six others in the Rancho San Juan Capistrano Murders. Never found by a vigilante posse he was believed by them to have successfully fled, probably back to Sonora. Later research by Frank Forrest Latta, revealed that the vigilantes may have executed him under the mistaken belief that he was his brother Joaquin Valenzuela, one of the first men to be hanged in Mission Plaza by the San Luis Obispo Committee of Vigilance in 1858.
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- Fled, never found.
- He was the brother of the infamous Joaquin Valenzuela, one of the first men to be hanged in Mission Plaza by the San Luis Obispo Committee of Vigilance.
CAPTURE OF ONE OF THE "FIVE JOAQUINS" — HANGED BY THE PEOPLE IN BROAD DAYLIGHT.
The party that went in pursuit spent a week of fruitless search in the hills. The murderers being well mounted, easily eluded them. At the rancho of San Emilio, however, they took one Joaquin Valenzuela, alias Joaquin Ocomorenia, who was identified by several persons as one of the five Joaquins, who were mentioned in the Act of 1853, authorizing the raising of Harry Love's company of rangers. This man is also an old accomplice of Jack Powers, spoke of him as his patron, and is a man steeped to the lips in guilt. He is well known at the mouth of the River Merced, and on the San Joaquin, and owes justice a score which fifty lives can never pay. He was hung in full sight of the whole people of San Luis, in broad daylight, by the voice and assistance of all the respectable men of the county, and died acknowledging his guilt, asking pardon of his friends, and warning all malefactors not to tell their secrets, even to their own countrymen. "Porqite asi se pierde" said he — that is: "Thus you loose yourself." [1] : 296
- Latta in his Horse Gangs 1980, says Jesus was going under the psudonym of his brother Joaquin Valenzuela after his brother had been one of the unnamed gang members killed at the 1853 Battle of the Cantua by Harry Love's California Rangers. Thus it was he that was hung at San Luis Obispo as Joaquin Valenzuela. Jesus' nickname was "Ocho Merino", garbled by the Americans as "Ocomorenia" in 1853, hence Jesus was one of the 5 Joaquins, that were being hunted for by the Rangers in 1853. Latta, p.133-134.