LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Four men were arrested and thousands of marijuana plants were eradicated on Monday during the service of search warrants by local authorities.
Detectives with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit, assisted by agents from the Bureau of Land Management and detectives from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, conducted a search warrant service on a drug trafficking organization based out of Santa Rosa, according to Sgt. Corey Paulich of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
After a four-month-long investigation, detectives were able to secure a search warrant for a residence in the 900 block of Todd Road in Santa Rosa and for any tents or dwellings around a large trespass cultivation site concealed in the native vegetation in the canyon off Hopland 175 near the Lake/Mendocino County line, Paulich said.
Paulich said that upon entering the cultivation site near the Lake/Mendocino county line, detectives were approached by a Hispanic male adult identified as Rogelio Perez Sanchez, 27, of Santa Rosa, armed with a semi-automatic pistol.
Sanchez did not comply with detective’s commands and attempted to flee. Paulich said a Bureau of Land Management K9 was used to apprehend Perez.
As detectives continued to walk through the cultivation site, three additional suspects were detained: Jose Ramirez Remigio, 27, of Santa Rosa; Gustavo Ramirez, 23, of Santa Rosa; and Rigoberto Gonzales Hernandez, 18, of Santa Rosa. Paulich said each suspect was in possession of a loaded semi-automatic pistol.
The cultivation site contained a total of approximately 3,000 mature marijuana plants which were eradicated and seized, Paulich said.
Paulich said the suspects had dammed up a natural spring in several locations and were illegally diverting the water approximately half a mile to the cultivation site. Paulich said several pesticides were located within the site and potential environmental damage and impact is being assessed.
At the Santa Rosa location detectives located items of indicia related to the suspects as well as processed marijuana, Paulich said.
Jose Ramirez, Gustavo Ramirez, and Rigoberto Hernandez were booked into the Lake County Jail on felony violations of cultivation of marijuana with water diversion present, armed while committing a felony and a misdemeanor of possession of marijuana for sale. All three had bail set at $15,000, Paulich said.
Paulich said Hernandez posted bail and was released while Gustavo and Jose Ramirez remain in custody.
Sanchez was transported to a local medical facility for injuries sustained by the BLM K9 during his apprehension. He was later released from custody to allow for medical treatment, Paulich said.
The sheriff’s office will be forwarding a report to the District Attorney’s Office requesting charges be filed against Sanchez, according to Paulich.
Narcotics detectives serve search warrants, eradicate marijuana plants, arrest four
- Lake County News reports
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