A family legend regarding Ignatius Asedo serving time at San Quentin in the 1920s turned out to be fact: He served in 1927.
Originally reaching out to San Quentin, the family’s question seeking details regarding Asedo’s crime then came to the Inside CDCR desk.
“The rumor is he was incarcerated at San Quentin in the 1920s but we don’t know the crime or any other details,” the family explained. “Is this true?”
With a name and rough time frame, we started looking into his story.
Tracking Ignatius Asedo
Asedo first starts appearing in newspapers in 1924 when police hunted for the man on suspicion of transporting a minor across state lines for nefarious purposes.
“Local authorities are today searching for Ignatius Asedo, a prize fighter, who is alleged to have come to (San Jose) from Watsonville with a (teenage) girl,” reported the Redwood City Tribune, Feb. 23, 1924.
Three days later, they were found in Atwater, near Merced. With charges sworn out by the girl’s mother, Asedo was placed in the county jail for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. News accounts say she was 15 or 16 years old. Asedo would have been 20 or 21 at the time.
A month later, finding insufficient evidence to confidently secure a conviction, the district attorney filed a motion to drop the charges. Asedo was released after serving 32 days in county lock-up.
Passing forged checks
Asedo again appears in newspapers a year later, this time for passing forged checks in early December 1925.
Raymond Shepheard, an ex-convict, operated a forged check-cashing ring with Asedo as one of his accomplices.
When Asedo attempted to pass a bogus $52 check at the Grangers Dry Goods Company, the cashier became suspicious and phoned the bank. Asedo was quickly arrested. When police began investigating the check, they uncovered a forgery ring with 31-year-old ex-convict Raymond Shepheard behind the scheme.
On Dec. 10, 1925, Shepherd was sentenced to state prison while the courts gave Asedo a second chance.
“Asedo, arrested for attempting to pass a check forged by Shepheard, was sentenced to prison for the term prescribed by law but sentence was suspended. (He was instead) placed on four years (of) probation, ” reported the Santa Cruz Sentinel, Dec. 11, 1925. “Shepheard took the blame for Asedo’s act, stating he talked the young man into attempting to pass the check.”
(Editor’s note: We will look more closely into Shepherd’s story in a future installment.)
Asedo squanders second chance
Just a year later on Dec. 31, 1926, Asedo issued a check for $27.50 payable to G. Arano and signed by A.T. Garey.
Months later, police tracked down Asedo.
“Ignatius Asedo, alias G. Arano, was arraigned yesterday on a charge of forgery,” reported the Pasadena Star News, June 28, 1927.
A subsequent news report indicates Asedo passed the check at a grocery store, purchasing a small amount of items while getting the rest in cash. He did not take the stand in his own defense.
According to prison records, 24-year-old Asedo was received at San Quentin from Los Angeles County after being convicted of issuing a check with insufficient funds. He was sentenced to serve up to 14 years and assigned number 43795. His occupation is listed as laborer.
Asedo died in the prison hospital April 3, 1928. No cause of death could be found and his place of burial is unknown.
Story by Don Chaddock, Inside CDCR editor
San Quentin acting Chief Deputy Warden Eric Patao contributed to this story
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