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REGIONAL: Carmichael man arrested for pot growing in Mendocino National Forest
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A raid on two illicit marijuana gardens in the Mendocino National Forest in Glenn County on Tuesday led to a Carmichael man's arrest.
Ivan Villafano, 24, was arrested during the operation, according to a report from the Glenn County Sheriff's Office.
The agency reported that the two marijuana gardens were discovered northwest of Elk Creek near Ice Springs and Shepherd Creek as the result of an overflight.
On Tuesday agents with the Glenn Interagency Narcotics Task Force – assisted by the US Forest Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the officials with the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting, or CAMP, raided the two gardens, which were separate from each other.
The Glenn County Sheriff's Office report said Villafano was taken into custody at the scene of the marijuana garden in the Ice Springs area.
When Villafano was taken into custody in the garden, he was armed with a small caliber handgun that was on his person. A rifle also was located in the marijuana garden, according to the report.
Villafano was arrested on charges including marijuana cultivation, conspiracy, a special allegation and carrying a loaded firearm in public, and booked into the Glenn County Jail on a no-bail hold, officials said.
Approximately 732 marijuana plants were eradicated from the garden. The approximate street value for the marijuana if it had made it to maturity would be approximately $350,000, the Glenn County Sheriff's Office reported.
Approximately 500 pounds of trash and growing supplies were removed from the garden for reclamation purposes to return the area to its original state, officials said.
In the Shepherd Creek area, agents raided a separate marijuana cultivation site, eradicating approximately 12,968 plants. Officials said approximately 750 pounds of trash and growing supplies were removed from the site.
The Glenn County Sheriff's Office noted that hunting season is open in parts of the Mendocino National Forest, and urged visitors to be careful while hunting or while in the area for recreational purposes.
If someone were to find themselves in a marijuana garden, they should exit the area immediately. If possible, obtain GPS coordinates to provide to law enforcement, officials said.
Visitors to the Glenn County portion of the forest are asked to report any suspicious activity to the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office at 530-934-6431.