Suspicious Vehicle Report Uncovers Burglary And Illegal Pot Grow
Mountain Ranch, CA — A suspicious vehicle led Calaveras County Sheriff’s deputies to a Mountain Ranch property break-in and an illegal pot grow.
Deputies responded to a suspicious vehicle report on Saturday, December 28th, 2024, in the 6000 block of Michel Road, between Old Gulch Road and Blue Eagle Mine Road. Upon their arrival, they found two vehicles in the middle of the roadway. One had a man inside, who later left the scene, and the other was unoccupied and towed away.
A short time later, deputies contacted the man again due to his vehicle having code violations, and this time he had four male passengers, detailed sheriff’s officials. A search of the vehicle’s back compartment revealed 55-gallon trash bags of marijuana, equaling 180 pounds. Deputies also discovered marijuana plants wrapped in white netting with blue clips attached, burglary tools, face masks, and a scale. According to sheriff’s officials, “Based on the observations, it was believed that this marijuana was recently cut down and taken without permission.”
Deputies decided to take a closer look at the residences near where the vehicles were originally found. Sheriff’s officials say at one property they found a large metal shop with fresh pry marks on the door frame. Inside there were four rooms, each containing marijuana plants in various growth stages.
Deputies seized 792 actively growing marijuana plants with an estimated worth exceeding $315,000, and the marijuana in the vehicle is estimated at more than $72,000.
The five men in the car, all from Richmond, were arrested for felony-related drug and burglary charges. This is an ongoing investigation.
