Photo: scene from the site
Here’s a report from the Placer County Sheriff’s Office after a search warrant was served at an illegal grow site –
“One of the missions of our Special Operations Unit is to target criminality, minimizing its impact on our communities and the environment. On August 5th, our special operations detectives and deputies served a search warrant at a rural property in Alta for an illegal marijuana grow.
On the property, detectives found approximately 2,400 marijuana plants, an additional 400 recently harvested marijuana plants, and 200 pounds of processed marijuana. The suspects who were maintaining the plants were living in tents on the property.
Additionally, detectives and deputies discovered a considerable amount of chemicals strewn throughout the property, which were used throughout the marijuana growing process.
The property is located on a hillside which leads directly into the North Fork of the American River; it is inevitable these chemicals will flow down into the river as soon as it begins to rain, endangering protected lands, wildlife and natural water features.
The suspects arrested were identified as 30-year old Jose Checo, of Richmond; 22-year old Humberto Chomo, of Concord; 38-year old Cerillo Delacruz, of Watsonville; 23-year old Onorio Delacruz, of Watsonville; 25-year old Meliton Hernandez-Velasco, of Taft; and 19-year old Adrian Regino, of Watsonville.
All six suspects were arrested and charged with cultivating marijuana plants, possession of marijuana for sale, conspiracy, cultivation of more than six marijuana plants with an environmental violation, and discharging waste that could affect the quality of the waters of the state.”
