Estación Romero was also a major hangout for the gang of Joaquin Murrieta with a spring and pasture land. It was located close by to the north of Pacheco Pass a major trail between the San Joaquin Valley and the coastal counties. At that time the lands along that trail were not settled except for a few scattered ranchos and was ideal for robbing and murdering unwary or poorly armed isolated individuals and small groups of men returning from the goldfields. Also a brush and pole corral for the holding of stolen horses was located nearby in Bull Heads Canyon where they were kept until they could be added into a passing drove on La Vereda at early daylight.: