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José Pomponio Lupugeym was a bandit and rebel against the mission system in California who raided between the areas of modern day San Jose and Marin County in the early 19th century. Pomponio was born at Mission Dolores in San Francisco, and got the Christian name "José Pomponio" from the missionaries there. Pomponio State Beach, Pomponio Creek, south of San Gregorio, and the Pomponio Trail in Pescadero Creek Park (San Mateo County), were named for him.

Pomponio was a Coast Miwok from Bolinas, chief of a group of outlaws who called themselves Los Insurgentes and fought against Mexican rule. In the summer of 1823, his main camp was somewhere in the upper Alpine area. A cave "once called Pomponio's Cave" at the headwaters of Pomponio Creek, near Devils Canyon Falls, was said to have been his headquarters.

Originally, much of Pomponio's legend was assembled from unreliable, anecdotal sources. One romantic, fictionalized account of his life has Pomponio cutting off his own heels to escape from captivity. The origin of this story may be that a lieutenant of Pomponio's band, one Gonzalo from Carmel, was captured and put in irons, and was reported to have cut off both heels to escape. The historical account continues saying that after a career as a robber, Gonzalo asked Pomponio to bring a priest to make his dying confession. Rather than have a priest hear anything not to his (Pomponio's) benefit, Pomponio ran him through with a lance. Pomponio gave similar treatment to another of his lieutenants named Baltasar.

Pomponio raided far from his home vicinity of Pescadero and San Gregorio creeks. He was captured by a party of four soldiers near San Rafael and tried by court martial in Monterey, and shot on February 6, 1824.