More than 12,000 marijuana plants seized in Oakhurst

More than 12,000 marijuana plants were eradicated and two people were jailed Tuesday in Oakhurst, the Madera County Sheriff’s Office reported.

Artemio Gonzalez-Hera, 24, of San Jose, and Jose Zaragoza Plancarte, 33, of Carnation, Wash., were booked into the Madera County Jail on suspicion of illegal cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Deputies served a search warrant Tuesday morning at a home on Hidden Falls Way. Investigators spotted two men who dropped weapons – a pellet gun and a 9mm handgun – and ran away. Both were tracked down and arrested.

“The owners of the property were not involved in the marijuana cultivation and were very cooperative in the investigation,” deputies said in a statement.

This story was originally published June 9, 2016 at 1:47 PM with the headline "More than 12,000 marijuana plants seized in Oakhurst."