Tip leads to Monroe pot farm bust
Published 10:42 pm Monday, October 12, 2009
MONROE — An anonymous tip Sunday led police to an estimated $1 million marijuana crop growing in a Monroe home.
“This is a large one for Monroe; this is a pretty big operation,” Monroe police spokeswoman Debbie Willis said. “It was sophisticated. They had a lot of equipment in there.”
Three people have been arrested. Two girls, ages 6 and 9, lived in the house and have since been turned over to state Child Protective Services.
Just after noon Sunday police received a tip that people were loading pot plants into a car outside a house in the 14200 block of Ingraham Road, according to police.
Officers went to check it out and arrested one man, 21, of Monroe, who was in a vehicle near the house, Willis said. Another man ran from the house and police were unable to immediately track him down.
More than 350 pot plants were found inside the house, Willis said. Some plants were just seedlings while others were more mature.
Police also found grow lights, fans, lighting canopies, timers, hydroponic containers, carbon dioxide injectors and fertilizers, according to an affidavit filed Monday in Everett District Court.
Detectives also believe the people growing may have been trying to steal electricity.
“Whenever you’re tampering with electricity that’s going to your house, there’s also an added risk,” Willis said.
Police on Monday returned to the house and arrested two more men. One man, 49, was hiding in a shed, Willis said. The other man, 19, was walking out of the house with an armful of belongings.
Police often rely on neighbors to expose such illegal operations, Willis said. She asked residents to call police about suspicious activity including covered windows, excess garbage and people coming and going at all hours.
“The anonymous caller was the reason we were able to go out there and apprehend our first subject and find this grow,” Willis said.
All three men who were arrested were booked into the Snohomish County Jail for investigation of criminal conspiracy to grow illegal drugs.
Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437 or jholtz@heraldnet.com.
