Marijuana grow shut down in Merced, one man arrested

A Merced man was booked into jail Wednesday in connection with the discovery of a commercial marijuana nursery operation, according to the Merced Police Department.

Police served a search warrant around 10 a.m. at a house on Hemlock Court where the tenants bypassed the electrical meter and had stolen about $20,000 in power, Sgt. Alan Ward said.

When police arrived, they found the people suspected of operating the marijuana grow removed the plants and were in the process of dismantling the grow. The suspects left behind air conditioners, grow lights, and wiring. They also patched over with Sheetrock where they were bypassing the electrical meter, Ward said.

Police served another search warrant at a warehouse in the 1800 block of Grogan Avenue later that day. They found one suite in the building where false walls had been constructed to hide the marijuana operation.

“If you went into the suite, it doesn’t look like anything is going on,” Ward said. “You couldn’t hear, smell or see the marijuana grow.”

Behind the walls, police found about 2,800 young marijuana plants and more than 150 mature ones. The mature plants valued more than $100,000, according to police.

Police later arrested 25-year-old Bryan Almazan who stopped by the home after police served the search warrant. He was arrested and booked into jail on suspicion of utility theft, marijuana cultivation and possession of marijuana for sales.

Almazan remained in custody Thursday at the John Latorraca Correctional Center on $18,500 bail.

This story was originally published May 4, 2017 at 1:48 PM with the headline "Marijuana grow shut down in Merced, one man arrested."