Man arrested after deputies find large pot grow, electrical bypass in Apple Valley
Southern California Edison estimates that the allegedly stolen electricity is valued at $250,000
Victorville Daily Press
A 29-year-old Apple Valley man has been released from custody after authorities arrested him on suspicion of operating a large marijuana grow and stealing about $250,000 in electricity.
Booking records show Ye Peng was released on bail late Monday, shortly after he was booked on suspicion of utility theft and growing or processing marijuana.
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department officials said deputies and the Marijuana Enforcement Team served a search warrant just after 6:30 p.m. Monday. Deputy Kent Watson authored the warrant after receiving information of the alleged marijuana grow at a property in the 19000 block of Chuparosa Road in Apple Valley.
Nearly nine pounds of marijuana, and more than 2600 marijuana plants were seized in multiple raids in the Desert Heights neighborhood of Twentynine Palms Wednesday morning. The Sheriff’s Department had received numerous complaints about large, outdoor illegal marijuana grows in the area, and about 9 a.m. Wednesday, investigators from the Marijuana Enforcement Team served four search warrants on locations in the area; they seized 8.9 pounds of processed marijuana and 2,665 marijuana plants. While serving the search warrants, deputies found a hidden bunker that had been dug into the ground; inside were two men, Victor Hipolito-Estrada, 20, and Jose Rico-Garcia, 35, both of Mexico. Deputies arrested Hipolito-Estrada, Rico-Garcia; and Alexis Frias, 34, of Mendocino, for investigation of cultivation of cannabis. Victor Hipolito-Estrada, Jose Rico-Garcia, and Alexis Frias were booked into the Morongo Basin Jail, cited and released.
Adelanto marijuana bust nets nearly 20,000 plants, firearms, stolen truck
Victorville Daily Press
Sheriff’s deputies recently seized nearly 20,000 cannabis plants at a large outdoor grow during a search warrant in Adelanto.
In addition, authorities said the investigators from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s Marijuana Enforcement Team also found 186 pounds of processed marijuana, three firearms and a stolen truck.
The team served the search warrant at about 8:30 a.m. Thursday morning after it had received numerous complaints about the cultivation site in the 2600 block of Parkdale Road “that consisted of 24 large greenhouses,” the sheriff’s department said.
Deputies spent more than eight hours dismantling the grow and cited 12 suspects on suspicion of cultivation of cannabis.