Fence And Corn Stalks Used To Hide Massive Marijuana Garden

PATTERSON (CBS13) - Several dump trucks were used to haul away hundreds of marijuana plants after they were removed from a poorly disguised plot of farmland in Patterson on Thursday.

A bulldozer and backhoes also were used to rip out the plants in a field at Highway 33 and Holly Avenue. A neighbor said a makeshift fence and corn stalks being used to hide the plants were put in several months ago.

Patterson resident Ramon Andrade heard the commotion early Thursday morning and came to take a look.

"For a small town it's kind of crazy," he said. "That's like the fourth truck they've taken out. It's overflowing."

Andrade suspected something wasn't right when he saw the fence go up about two months ago.

"Just a single row of corn as you can see growing around (the fence)," he said. "I knew it was suspicious right away."

Complete with an irrigation system, the grow appears to be rather sophisticated.

Paperwork left behind reads : Medical Marijuana Collective Cultivation disclosure. It lists Yerba Buena Collective out of San Jose but a man reached there wouldn't give us answers.

An agent on scene said the Stanislaus Drug Enforcement Agency was in charge of the raid, but we were told no one was available to talk to reporters.

A neighbor who didn't want to appear on camera said she tipped off authorities weeks ago.

"I called the police weekly and told them," she said. "They said they were checking on it, but nothing was ever done."

She's relieved agents cleared the elaborate pot grow.

"I'm so happy this was finally solved. This is another one caught. It's great."

A witness said he saw a couple of people detained, but, again, no one from law enforcement would answer questions to confirm that.