Sheriff’s deputies destroy 1,000 illegal marijuana plants in south Merced

Authorities eradicated more than 1,000 marijuana plants from illegal grow sites at five south Merced homes, according to the Merced County Sheriff’s Office.

Last week, deputies with the sheriff’s aviation unit spotted several suspected illegal marijuana grows in the areas of West Avenue and R Street, Deputy Daryl Allen said.

Deputies with the Merced County Sheriff’s Office Marijuana Eradication Team investigated those homes and then, on Friday, served search warrants, Allen said.

The searches resulted in more than 1,000 marijuana plants that were about a month away from cultivation, Deputy Hugo Bucio said. A total of 10 pounds packaged marijuana buds were found between the five locations.

One person was cited for cultivation of marijuana for sale, Allen said, noting that illegal cultivation can become a felony once firearms or children become involved.

“Sometimes you’ll find toys in the drying rooms,” where growers hang marijuana plants upside down in residential bedrooms to dry out the plants for processing, Allen said.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Ray Framstad said the collaboration between the aviation unit and deputies on the ground is key to eliminating the illegal marijuana grows, which can pose threats to the community by attracting crime.

“People think that we just check it out from the air and go out there,” Framstad said. “But we have to go out and corroborate the information. It’s a very time-consuming process.”

This story was originally published September 7, 2018 at 5:10 PM.