If you drive up or down Euclid near Crescent in Anaheim, over the last few months, you’ve probably seen “Average Joe.” “avgjoewyoming” he calls himself on Instagram because the 40-year old spent a lot of time in Wyoming. Turns out his real name is Joseph Ontiveros, and you may have seen him on the corner in his big cowboy hat (which he won riding a bull in Wyoming,) waving a hybrid US/Mexican flag and sporting a teeshirt reading “FUCK ICE.” And also, right, a WHISTLE – to alert folks to ICE’s presence.
Most of us love him. Joe “does everything,” the local anti-ICE activists attest – “community watch, protest, marches, and town meetings.” He’s got this great attitude that cheers everybody most of us up during these dark times. Here’s a nice little interview with him:
Except, of course, there are those who drive by, who do not AGREE with “Fuck ICE,” and they occasionally pull over to try to make trouble for Joe. Sometimes those folks get violent, like a woman last week who came by and threatened him with a baseball bat. But eventually she left.
But a little after that, an older man – bigger than Joe who as you can see is not that big – came by and pushed him. I don’t have video of all this, just going by what people tell me – but I heard the old guy pushed Joe and Joe punched him back, and the old guy left.
I think it was Tuesday, a couple of days after the incident, that the APD came and arrested Joe for assault, but soon let him go – because the old guy 1) had started it, and 2) wasn’t pressing charges. Here, Joe wonders and hopes, that with all the cameras around that area, there oughtta be some footage that exonerates him, backs up his story…
But then, two days later – last Thursday, February 5, the cops came and arrested Joe again. The old guy HAD decided to press charges. And Joe told the police as they led him away, in that case he ALSO wanted to press charges.
But here’s where it gets railroad-y: Average Joe is being held on $125,000 bail, which seems hell of excessive. How is THAT being justified? Well, his arraignment is tomorrow morning as I write – bright and early Monday morning, and the Orange Juice Blog will be there, with bells and whistles, to let you know what happens, and how soon Average Joe can be back on the street, standing up for the oppressed immigrant!
To be continued, and meanwhile if you get hungry, grab some food at Los Shakas on East St and Cypress – tell “Ortiz” and his tall blond wife Veronica that Average Joe – no, tell him that Vern and the Anaheim Democrats sent you!
I’ve seen Average Joe many times.
God bless him. I’ve admired his courage. We used to have free speech here, but it seems that the the APD are dedicated Icicles. Keep us apprised.
Any news? I stopped by the corner this morning and chatted briefly with a dude holding a Fuck Ice banner. Said he was a vet and a nurse. Another gal had come down from Whittier with a homemade sign saying “Free Joe.”
We went up to North Court for his arraignment; we were told wrong, it’s going to be a video arraignment down at the jail. Word is, it is the DA (Spitzer) who is pressing charges, not the old guy he tussled with. And he has a public defender now. The PD doesn’t even know what Joe’s charges are yet. I am trying to make contact with Joe’s wife and PD.
I’ll probably go down to his old Jollibee’s corner too, in the afternoon. I guess we all have to pick up the slack for him for now.
I owe the APD an apology then. I figured it was them. But Spitzer? Looking for Brownie points with Bondi?
I don’t know, I heard it was APD as well. Everything I hear is third hand. I shouldn’t write anything else until I get in touch with his PD or at least his wife.
The vet/nurse you met is Ruben, ruben_nurse. This late in life, I am learning to navigate Instagram.
The GoFundMe link in the article is important. Repeating it here.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-free-joe-our-beloved-community-advocate
Is Joe really Jerry.
And was he charged with a felony drug count instead of assault?
Those are some very specific questions. Have you already done some research that suggests that one or two of the answers is Yes?
If so, we can delete this if you think Spitzer is not already aware (which is unlikely). Or, please give the details if you have some actual good here that are likely to spill.
Ask Vern. He has the receipts. I gave them to him.
Does that taco joint serve buche? Cuz if it don’t, it ain’t autentico.
Sigh of relief. Jerry Ontiveros is a different guy, in Theo Lacy on a drug charge. Joe Ontiveros is in County. Different birthdays/years. Coincidentally both arrested on the same day.
I still don’t know exactly Joe’s charges, or why his bail is so high. His arraignment will be Thursday the 19th at North Court and we’ll be there. Meanwhile, a lot more people (including me when I can) are keeping up the “FUCK ICE” tradition in front of Jollybees!
Anyone waving a Mexican flag should be hit with a baseball bat where in hell is your American heart?