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Police in Murrieta uncovered and removed 672 marijuana plants in a neighborhood filled with million-dollar homes Wednesday morning, authorities said.
The plants, which had an estimated street value of $2 million, were found on the side of a mountain behind a house on sale for $2.9 million in the 25400 block of Edna Road, said Tim Hales, supervisor of the Murrieta-Temecula Regional Gang Task Force.
One man, an undocumented worker who gardened the 4.77-acre property, was detained and taken to the Border Patrol station in Murrieta for questioning, Hales said.
Police were tipped to the marijuana by a confidential informant, but the amount discovered came as a surprise. Hales said he had expected to find about 50 plants.
A sophisticated irrigation system had been tapped into the home's water supply, although authorities believe the owners of the 7,200-square-foot, five-bedroom residence had no knowledge of the plants, Hales said.
"I'm surprised that there's something this large here, as well as the fact that the water lines were tied into such an expensive piece of property," Hales said. "It's unusual."
The owner of the house, 61-year-old Chung Yung Joon, was out of town Wednesday and could not be reached. Young Shin, Joon's real estate agent, said Joon has lived in Palos Verdes since the end of May.
Shin said Joon has recently had issues with his water not working properly inside and outside the Murrieta home.
"I'm in shock," Shin said by phone. "We didn't know there was any marijuana up there."
About 20 officers from the task force, comprised of nine federal, state and local agencies, raided the premises shortly before 9 a.m. Officers also found fertilizer, plastic valves and tubing that appeared to be spare parts for the irrigation system, rat poison, empty drink containers and black-plastic sheeting designed to keep rodents away from the plants.
Hales said the task force got involved because those suspected of profiting from the operation are believed to be associated with a gang.
"Most gang members in this area don't fight over turf," Hales said. "They fight over drug sales and who has control over drug sales."
Similar marijuana growth are rare in Murrieta but common in places where there are a lot of hills, Hales said. Growers sometimes set up irrigation systems that tap into public parks or golf courses.
Wednesday's find was difficult to spot, because the marijuana plants were halfway up the mountain and surrounded by taller brush. Officers pulled the plants out by hand, tied them into bundles, carried them down the hill, and loaded them onto a pickup.
They took the plants to the Murrieta Police Department station and will eventually bury them at a dumpsite, Hales said.
Newshawk: SX420 - 420 Magazine
Source: The Press Enterprise
Author: Nathan Max
Copyright: 2005, The Press-Enterprise Company
Contact: nmax@PE.com
Website: PE.com | Southern California News | News for Inland Southern California
The plants, which had an estimated street value of $2 million, were found on the side of a mountain behind a house on sale for $2.9 million in the 25400 block of Edna Road, said Tim Hales, supervisor of the Murrieta-Temecula Regional Gang Task Force.
One man, an undocumented worker who gardened the 4.77-acre property, was detained and taken to the Border Patrol station in Murrieta for questioning, Hales said.
Police were tipped to the marijuana by a confidential informant, but the amount discovered came as a surprise. Hales said he had expected to find about 50 plants.
A sophisticated irrigation system had been tapped into the home's water supply, although authorities believe the owners of the 7,200-square-foot, five-bedroom residence had no knowledge of the plants, Hales said.
"I'm surprised that there's something this large here, as well as the fact that the water lines were tied into such an expensive piece of property," Hales said. "It's unusual."
The owner of the house, 61-year-old Chung Yung Joon, was out of town Wednesday and could not be reached. Young Shin, Joon's real estate agent, said Joon has lived in Palos Verdes since the end of May.
Shin said Joon has recently had issues with his water not working properly inside and outside the Murrieta home.
"I'm in shock," Shin said by phone. "We didn't know there was any marijuana up there."
About 20 officers from the task force, comprised of nine federal, state and local agencies, raided the premises shortly before 9 a.m. Officers also found fertilizer, plastic valves and tubing that appeared to be spare parts for the irrigation system, rat poison, empty drink containers and black-plastic sheeting designed to keep rodents away from the plants.
Hales said the task force got involved because those suspected of profiting from the operation are believed to be associated with a gang.
"Most gang members in this area don't fight over turf," Hales said. "They fight over drug sales and who has control over drug sales."
Similar marijuana growth are rare in Murrieta but common in places where there are a lot of hills, Hales said. Growers sometimes set up irrigation systems that tap into public parks or golf courses.
Wednesday's find was difficult to spot, because the marijuana plants were halfway up the mountain and surrounded by taller brush. Officers pulled the plants out by hand, tied them into bundles, carried them down the hill, and loaded them onto a pickup.
They took the plants to the Murrieta Police Department station and will eventually bury them at a dumpsite, Hales said.
Newshawk: SX420 - 420 Magazine
Source: The Press Enterprise
Author: Nathan Max
Copyright: 2005, The Press-Enterprise Company
Contact: nmax@PE.com
Website: PE.com | Southern California News | News for Inland Southern California
