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1,800 pot plants seized in Calif. canyon

In a rugged, remote part of the Las Trampas Regional Wilderness Area, cops arrested one man at camp which included a generator and tents but no weapons

By Carolyn Jones
The San Francisco Chronicle

SAN RAMON, Calif. — Police seized 1,800 marijuana plants early Wednesday growing in a remote canyon near San Ramon.

In a sunrise raid in the Las Trampas Regional Wilderness, police tore out the plants and arrested one of two men who were camping at the site. Policarpio Gallegos, 63, of Pittsburg was taken into custody but another man remains at large, said Shelly Lewis, spokeswoman for the East Bay Regional Park District.

The plants are worth about $225,000, she said. Park district police patrolling in a helicopter located the plants about 3 1/2 weeks ago and waited for cooler weather to stage the raid, she said.

The camp included a generator and tents but no weapons, dogs, or fences, she said.

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