Deputies bust illegal marijuana grows near Le Grand, Delhi high schools

Helicopter reconnaissance two weeks ago revealed to the Merced County Sheriff’s Office a large marijuana grow operation near Le Grand High School.

“It looked like giant broccoli,” Sheriff Vern Warnke said of the aerial footage.

One raid last week on a property in the 13300 block of Le Grand Road revealed 85 marijuana plants being grown for commercial use, Warnke said.

On Friday, the deputies eliminated another illegal operation nearby that yielded 100 plants.

“Based on the fact that they were near a school, we wanted to make those priorities,” Sgt. Ray Framstad said, noting that the illegal grows were “probably the most dense and fullest plans we’ve seen all year, higher quality outdoor plants.”

Framstad said illegal grows with quantities at that level attract violent crimes. Although fenced off, the Le Grand operation was accessible through the highway and children could “have access to those plants, reach through the fence to pull them out,” he said.

The sheriff’s office also conducted raids on illegal grows in Livingston, Stevinson, Delhi and Planada Friday, Framstad said.

A Livingston raid on a “church garden” of the Sugarleaf Rastafarian Church resulted in the confiscation of 66 large marijuana plants.

About 350 plants were discovered in illegal grows at two residences on Third Avenue in Stevinson.

About 75 plants were confiscated during a search of a Planada home.

Two large illegal marijuana grow sites were discovered in Delhi, one of which was about two blocks away from Delhi High School, Framstad said.

That grow in Silkwood Court yielded almost 400 usable plants, he said. A total of 200 plants were discovered in another indoor and outdoor grow in the 7000 block of Feather Way.

Warnke said several other marijuana grows were detected during the helicopter flights. But many were locations containing 12 or fewer outdoor plants.

“We don’t talk to people if they were under the 12 plants,” Warnke said. “I’ll leave alone the folks who stay under the parameters of the law.”

Framstad advised anyone thinking of growing marijuana for medical or personal use to contact the law enforcement agency where they live to understand what local ordinance restrictions apply to them.

This story was originally published August 26, 2017 at 5:34 PM with the headline "Deputies bust illegal marijuana grows near Le Grand, Delhi high schools."