Fire leads Merced deputies to ‘organized crime’ marijuana grow

A small house fire late Thursday, apparently triggered by faulty and illegal electrical wiring, led Merced County sheriff’s deputies to an “organized crime” operation growing marijuana in a quiet residential neighborhood.

Deputies seized nearly 200 mature marijuana plants and hundreds of “clone” plants and other materials, including grow lights, ballasts and ventilation equipment, according to Sgt. Ray Framstad, who added that the operation was suspected to be linked to “an organized criminal enterprise.”

“We found no medical marijuana cards or any other evidence that would lead us to believe this was anything other than a commercial, criminal operation for profit,” Framstad said.

Merced County firefighters were called around 10 p.m. to a house fire in the 7000 block of Tokay Circle in Winton. The fire apparently was sparked by overloaded electrical equipment that had been rewired unprofessionally to steal thousands of dollars’ worth of electricity, deputies said.

Framstad said the growers fled the home before emergency responders arrived on scene and no arrests were made.

Investigators also rescued about half a dozen puppies and young dogs, that appeared to be mixed breeds, from the home and backyard.

A vehicle with Oregon license plates was found in the driveway and, Framstad said, investigators believe the growers likely were from out of state and came to Winton specifically to grow large quantities of marijuana for sale.

The veteran investigator praised the efforts of the firefighters who prevented the small fire from growing.

“We always worry that fires like this could spread to other homes where (residents) don’t even know marijuana is being grown illegally next door,” Framstad said. “They can cause a significant amount of damage to a neighborhood.”

Deputies also noted large-scale grows frequently are targeted by thieves who, many times, aren’t afraid of taking money and marijuana by force. A man was killed last year in a shootout over marijuana at a home in the Beachwood/Franklin-area of Merced.

This story was originally published December 30, 2016 at 6:23 PM with the headline "Fire leads Merced deputies to ‘organized crime’ marijuana grow."