Thousands Of Plants Seized In Raid At Illegal Marijuana Grow Site In Alta; 6 People Arrested
PLACER COUNTY (CBS13) — An illegal marijuana grow at a rural property in Placer County has been raided by authorities.
The Placer County Sheriff's office says, back on Aug. 5, deputies with their Special Operations Unit served a search warrant at a marijuana grow site in Alta. The site was on a hillside leading directly into the North Fork of the American River, deputies say.
At the site, about 2,400 marijuana plants, 400 recently harvested pot plants, and about 200 pounds of processed marijuana was found.
One of the missions of our Special Operations Unit is to target criminality, minimizing its impact on our communities...
Posted by Placer County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday, August 12, 2020
Deputies also discovered a "considerable" amount of chemicals around the property. With the grow site being on a hill, the sheriff's office says it would have been inevitable for some chemicals to wash down when it rains and pollute the river.
Several suspects who were maintaining the site were found living in tents at the property, deputies say. In total, six people - all from out of the area - were arrested in connection to the grow: 30-year-old Jose Checo, 22-year-old Humberto Chomo, 38-year-old Cerillo Delacruz, 23-year-old Onorio Delacruz, 25-year-old Meliton Hernandez-Velasco and 19-year-old Adrian Regino. All are facing numerous drug charges.