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Two Santa Rosa men arrested for illegal marijuana grow
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Sheriff's narcotics detectives have arrested two Santa Rosa men for an illegal marijuana grow near Lower Lake, and seized 275 marijuana plants and a firearm.
Sylviano Fuentes, 50, and Antonio Hernandez-Lemus, 23, were arrested on Wednesday, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
At 10:30 a.m. Wednesday members of the Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force were asked to assist Lake County Code Enforcement with a possible illegal marijuana grow site, Brooks said.
Code Enforcement officers said they had located a hoop-style greenhouse containing marijuana plants on a parcel of property in Lower Lake. Brooks said detectives responded to the property which was located in the 15000 block of Joseph Trail.
As detectives approached they could clearly see at least 100 growing marijuana plants inside the green house, Brooks said.
Brooks said detectives contacted two subjects on the property who were identified as Hernandez-Lemus and Fuentes. Detectives explained why they were there and it was illegal for them to cultivate marijuana on a vacant land parcel.
Hernandez said the marijuana was not theirs and he was just assisting with the grow site. Detectives said the property appeared to be used solely for the purpose of cultivating marijuana, according to Brooks' report.
Brooks said the detectives reported that there were no structures on the property, but there was a travel trailer. Due to the fact that marijuana grow sites are frequently occupied by several people, detectives conducted a protective sweep of the travel trailer, where they found a shotgun sitting on the bed with several shotgun shells.
Detectives entered the greenhouse and located 275 growing marijuana plants. Brooks said the plants were approximately 3 feet in height and were in the vegetative state, the stage in a flowering plant’s life cycle before the appearance of its fruiting structures.
Brooks said the greenhouse was covered in a clear plastic and had a large black tarp next to the structure. These types of greenhouses are commonly used for light deprivation which is used to control the amount of sunlight the plants receive and control flowering.
Posted on the greenhouse were two medical marijuana recommendations, which Brooks said were for two people who were not at the property.
Based on the amount of marijuana plants located and the shotgun found in the travel trailer, detectives secured the scene and wrote a search warrant for the property. Once the search warrant was signed, detectives eradicated the 275 marijuana plants and seized the shotgun as evidence, Brooks said.
Hernandez-Lemus was arrested for cultivating marijuana and possession of marijuana for sale. Sylviano Fuentes was arrested for cultivating marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale and for being armed in the commission of a felony, according to Brooks.
Brooks said both men were transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked.
Jail records on Thursday indicated that Hernandez-Lemus, whose bail was set at $15,000, posted the required 10 percent of bail and was released, while Fuentes remained in custody on an immigration hold.
The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be reached through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.