Deputies bust indoor pot cultivation in Winton

Merced County sheriff’s deputies on Tuesday raided two Winton homes where nearly 2,000 marijuana plants were being grown illegally, deputies reported.

Power services to each of the two properties were rigged to enable the growers to steal $4,000 to $5,000 worth of electricity each month for their indoor grow operations, Sgt. Ray Framstad said.

A house in the 7400 block of Myrtle Avenue held nearly 1,200 plants and a home in the 6800 block of Minnie Way had 754 plants, he said.

Deputies arrested two suspects who allegedly worked at the homes.

Framstad said Ascension Sanchez, 40, from Michoacan, Mexico, was taken into custody without incident at one home. At the second home, deputies arrested Manuel Martinez of Fremont after a short pursuit. The 25-year-old man fled when deputies arrived, Framstad said, but he was tracked down using a K-9 unit. No injuries were reported during either arrest.

Framstad said indoor cultivation produces a more potent plant. Each plant produces a quarter-pound to a half-pound of marijuana, he said, and a pound of marijuana can sell for $3,000 on the black market.

The more potent marijuana is in demand from out-of-state dispensaries, he said. “A lot of these indoor grows are from organized crime,” he said.

The Sheriff’s Office continues to have a “zero tolerance” policy on illegal cultivation, he said. Under Merced County law, users with a medical marijuana card are allowed 12 plants per parcel for medicinal use.

“We’re not looking to go after people using it for medicinal purposes,” he said.

Illegal cultivation carries a number of hazards. The rigged electrical system is a fire hazard, he said, and the homes often attract home-invasion violence from those looking to steal the plants.

Framstad said the indoor cultivation is becoming more common in Merced County, because the more potent plant is worth more money. The homes raided Wednesday had “flown under the radar” for more than two years, he said.

California, the first state to legalize medical cannabis, is getting tougher on medical marijuana. The state recently enacted legislation to require the Medical Board of California to crack down on doctors who write recommendations without a proper patient exam or valid medical reason.

Sanchez is being held at the Main Jail on suspicion of illegal cultivation of marijuana and felony theft in lieu of $56,500 bail.

Martinez is being held on suspicion of illegal cultivation of marijuana, felony theft, resisting arrest and possession of an opioid. Bail information was not immediately available.

This story was originally published December 2, 2015 at 5:52 PM with the headline "Deputies bust indoor pot cultivation in Winton."