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Rocker Road reported youths stole medical marijuana plants over the weekend. He saw them trying to steal more plants and confronted them. He told a dispatcher he did not want to pursue
<br />criminal charges, however, and would look into a restraining order. A woman from Kangaroo Court reported the theft of six marijuana plants while she was home, sometime between midnight
<br />and 6 a.m. Tuesday. The homeowner, who wanted to remain anonymous due to security concerns, said the plants belonged to her sister, who has a medical marijuana prescription for fibromyalgia.
<br />The woman said the plants were in a fenced and tarped garden, but were visible from the street. “Somebody had been watching,” she said. “They cut a hole in the fence.” The woman believed
<br />her sister scared the culprits off when she got up at 3 a.m. and turned on some lights. They left behind part of the plants, as well as a crowbar and a tire iron. “I'm sure they were
<br />anticipating using them on a dog,” the woman said of the abandoned tools. The victim said the plants weren't even mature yet and the theft means her sister will have to purchase marijuana
<br />from a dispensary, at a cost of approximately $400 a month. “We're afraid to leave the house,” she said. “We're afraid they might come back and try to see if we have any inside. It's
<br />kind of scary.” Friday at 1 a.m., a man from Orchard Springs Road reported someone broke into his shop and took several marijuana plants. Several of his friends detained a suspect in
<br />the parking lot of a nearby store. “They couldn't link that person to the theft, so he was released,” Powell said. said. “The deputy went back to the victim's house to take down his
<br />information and found a vehicle with two people in it who admitted to stealing marijuana from someone's garden. They had cutting tools in their possession.”……..The victim estimated the
<br />loss at about $10,000, he said. Powell had some advice for county residents growing medical marijuana. “Don't advertise that you're growing,” he said. “Keep the information to yourself.”
<br />And if you hear someone in your garden in the middle of the night, he added, “Don't confront them. That's number one.” Powell noted there have been violent incidents in the past, including
<br />shootings last year. “We've had none so far this year, knock on wood,” he said. “You have a right to defend your property, but you don't know who's out there.” http://www.theunion.com/article/2009091
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<br />Medical Marijuana and Associated Issues California Chiefs of Police Association Medical Marijuana Task Force July to September 2009 10 Narcotics agents link two to sale of marijuana
<br />By From staff reports /Saturday, September 12, 2009 Undercover narcotics agents with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department arrested two people on Thursday in connection with the sale
<br />of marijuana. Agents said the two, Kim Lurie, 44, of Perris, and Hilton Gurfinkiel, 33, of Woodland Hills, had advertised their marijuana delivery business in county newspapers and on
<br />the Internet. Agents said the 805 Delivery service claimed to comply with Proposition 215, which allows for the sale of medical marijuana in California. Agents allege Gurfinkiel and
<br />Perris sold marijuana to an undercover operative in violation of Proposition 215……. http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/sep/12/narcotics-agents-link-two-to-sale-of-marijuana/2
<br />boys caught trying to steal a pot plant By Record Searchlight staff /August 8, 2009 Two juveniles were arrested early Friday after trying to steal a marijuana plant from a business in
<br />downtown Redding. Officers responded to 215 Patient Resource at 2035 California St. just after midnight and found broken glass at the front door and two boys running from the location.
<br />The business had a marijuana plant growing in the window and it appeared the juveniles were trying to break the glass door to steal the pot plant……One of the juveniles attempted to climb
<br />a wrought-iron fence but lost his grip and cut his right forearm before officers caught both boys, Barner said. The injured boy was treated for his cuts at Shasta Regional Medical Center
<br />in Redding and released. Both boys were being held at Shasta County Juvenile Hall on suspicion of attempted burglary, resisting an officer and an arrest warrant from a previous offense,
<br />Barner said. http://www.redding.com/news/2009/aug/08/north-state-in-brief-aug-8-2009/Calif. marijuana dispensaries broken into 08/11/09 | UPI | Press Release LAKE FOREST, Calif., Aug.
<br />11 (UPI) --Two Lake Forest, Calif., medical marijuana dispensaries were broken into early Tuesday, the Orange County Sheriff's Department said. The dispensaries --the Lake Forest Alternative
<br />Center and the Health and Wellness Center --are less than a mile apart and the breakins both occurred at about 5 a.m., Orange County Register reported Tuesday. Deputies arrived at both
<br />locations to discover broken windows, said Lt. Mike Jansen of the sheriff's department. Investigators are checking to see whether valuables or merchandise was taken from the dispensaries…..
<br />http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/127970-ca-calif-marijuana-dispensaries-brokeninto.html http://www.ledger-dispatch.com/news/newsview.asp?c=261095 Several Law Enforcement
<br />agencies conducted large scale raids on outdoor grow locations. Organized crime and criminal drug trafficking organizations are responsible for a number of these grow. Indications are
<br />that more illegally cultivated marijuana will be seized this than in any previous year. A majority of these grows take place on public land and involve the destruction of these lands
<br />either through fire or chemical contamination of the land as well as the death of the animals that inhabit them. These grow operations also threaten the use of these parks for their
<br />intended purpose, use by our residents.
<br />Medical Marijuana and Associated Issues California Chiefs of Police Association Medical Marijuana Task Force July to September 2009 11 La Brea Fire believed to be caused by $90 mil.
<br />marijuana operation run by Mexican drug cartel Reported by: Danielle Lerner, Sarah Spotten /Tuesday, August 18, 2009 The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department releases more details
<br />on their investigation into the start of the La Brea Fire burning east of Santa Maria. At a press conference Tuesday, sheriff's investigators said they believe the La Brea Fire was started
<br />by a cooking fire used by people running an illegal marijuana operation in a remote area of the Los Padres National Forest. A propane stove was found in their camp at the origin of the
<br />fire. Sheriff's investigators believe there were five or six people tending the marijuana farm, and that some of them may still be trying to leave the forest on foot. They say an AK-47
<br />assault rifle was found in the camp, so the suspects should be considered armed and dangerous. The marijuana farm found near the origin of the fire contained about 30,000 plants with
<br />an estimated street value of about $90 million. Sheriff Bill Brown said this has been one of the busiest seasons of marijuana eradication in Santa Barbara County's history, with 18 farms
<br />eradicated since April 18, 2009 -a total estimated street value of $675 million…… http://www.ksby.com/Global/story.asp?S=10950537 Investigators seek marijuana growers in Santa Barbara
<br />County fire caused by cooking gear Greg Risling /August 18th, 2009 SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — California investigators are looking for up to six marijuana growers suspected of starting
<br />a large wildfire north of Santa Barbara with cooking gear. Investigators found about 30,000 marijuana plants near the origin of the fire in a remote canyon. An assault rifle was recovered
<br />at the campsite. U.S. Forest Service Special Agent Russ Arthur said Tuesday that a cooking device at an encampment was responsible for the fire, which has burned more than 137 square
<br />miles. Arthur says it’s the first time in Santa Barbara County a wildfire has been caused by drug trafficking. He says there are typically three to four small fires each year in California
<br />that are started by similar activity. The fire is one of several scorching the state during the past week. http://blog.taragana.com/n/investigators-seek-marijuana-growers-in-santa-barbara-county-fire
<br />-causedby-cooking-gear-143074/Task force raids marijuana site in Pioneer, catches Bay Area drug dealers By News release /Thursday, September 24, 2009 On Wednesday, Sept. 16, the Amador
<br />County Combined Narcotics Enforcement Team raided an outdoor marijuana growing operation in Pioneer, leading to the arrest of the Troung brothers, and a Mexican national who was allegedly
<br />tending to the plants……ACNETT agents destroyed 520 female marijuana plants. They also seized a 2006 ATV used in the growing operation. Oakland and San Francisco DEA Agents, along with
<br />ACCNET team members and state law enforcement, served the federal arrest warrant on Gary Troung at his home in San Leandro. During the arrest, law enforcement discovered an indoor marijuana
<br />growing operation that consisted of 44 cloned marijuana cuttings, approximately $17,000 cash and two ounces of marijuana bud. Troung also had a Walther PPK pistol with 9mm ammunition
<br />and items of evidence linking him to the growing site in Amador……Troung's checking account contained $11,500 and was frozen pending seizure proceedings. Oakland and San Francisco DEA
<br />agents also arrested Vi Troung at his residence in El Cerrito. Much like his brother, Vi was also employing an indoor marijuana growing operation -his consisting of 550 female marijuana
<br />plants and approximately 10 pounds of processed marijuana bud…... http://www.ledger-dispatch.com/news/newsview.asp?c=261095
<br />Medical Marijuana and Associated Issues California Chiefs of Police Association Medical Marijuana Task Force July to September 2009 12 Ukiah Daily Journal: Bulgarians arrested in massive
<br />marijuana raid Wed, Jul 01 2009 12:43 CET byNick Iliev 222 Views 2 Comments Four Bulgarians citizens have been seized in Covelo, northern California, as part of a massive marijuana bust
<br />operation. The officers destroyed more than 2200 marijuana plants and arrested the Bulgarians at Bentley Ridge and Estel Ridge, Covelo……The gang were arrested on charges "of growing
<br />marijuana, possession of marijuana for retail use and possession of a gun during a felony crime, according to the Sheriff's Office," the Ukriah Daily Journal has said. As part of a wider
<br />operation encompassing also Russian and American marijuana growers, the authorities seized more than 20 000 marijuana plants, which were subsequently destroyed. The part of the country
<br />where the Bulgarians was arrested was apparently notorious for hemp growing and was also known as such by the authorities who bade their time and prepared for the operation. Police authorities
<br />have described it as a "large commercial marijuana growing area". According to Sheriff's Lt. Rusty Noe, Bulgarians and Russians have been known to come to this area before in order to
<br />grow marijuana….. http://www.sofiaecho.com/2009/07/01/747351_ukiah-daily-journal-bulgarians-arrested-in-massivemarijuana-raid Alameda Sheriff's uncover 15,000 marijuana plants in Sunol
<br />Sophia Kazmi /Valley Times /07/01/2009 SUNOL — Alameda County Sheriff's deputies uncovered more than 15,000 marijuana plants this week near Sunol……The area was hard to get to, Miles
<br />said, but when deputies and the California Department of Justice made it, they found 15,074 plants in 15 separate plots. The plants were 3-to 6-feet tall in height. There was what appeared
<br />to be a recently used campsite at the location, Miles said. Investigators found a gun holster, several rounds of ammunition and also something unusual for such sites — baby bottles.
<br />This is the second large-scale grow found in Sunol. Last month, deputies found 22,000 plants near Calaveras Road on San Francisco Water District property……. http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci
<br />_12735245 Santa Clara authorities bust pot garden The Associated Press /07/02/2009 SAN JOSE, Calif.—Santa Clara County sheriff's deputies have seized more than 6,000 marijuana plants
<br />with a street value of $18 million. The two large gardens that housed the plants were found Wednesday morning in the hills above San Jose. Authorities say 24-year-old Jesus Ochoachacon
<br />was tending to plants at the site and arrested. Another suspect apparently fled and is still at large. Sheriff's deputies say the department's marijuana eradication team has destroyed
<br />more than 90,000 pot plants with a value of $270 million since April. http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_12745051?nclick_check=1 Deputies bust Santa Cruz Mountains marijuana garden,
<br />but not before growers get part of the crop By Jennifer Squires /07/07/2009 SUMMIT --Sheriff's deputies and state drug agents ripped out marijuana plants worth more than $1 million from
<br />an illegal garden in a remote area of the Soquel Demonstration Forest on Monday, but not before the growers had harvested about half of the pot and fled. After the law enforcement crew
<br />hacked down about 4,700 budding plants, a helicopter hauled out five large nets of green shoots……Yanez
<br />Medical Marijuana and Associated Issues California Chiefs of Police Association Medical Marijuana Task Force July to September 2009 13 estimated the growers got away with marijuana worth
<br />$1 million to $3 million on the street, probably in the past two weeks. Deputies scouted the marijuana garden and two other sites in late June, which likely spooked the growers and led
<br />to the early harvest. The other sites were also cleaned out in advance of the raid. "We had two other gardens, but they already harvested them," Yanez said. Monday, four sheriff's deputies
<br />and a crew from the state ran the raid……Based on the setup, Yanez suspected the garden was the work of a Mexican drug cartel…..The environmental degradation caused by illegal marijuana
<br />gardens --regardless of their size --is one of the reasons CAMP agents spend three months every summer targeting large grows across the state, according to Jackson. "The biggest thing
<br />is the destruction of our public lands," he said, listing off the damage gardens cause, including water diversion, animal poaching, the use of illegal pesticides and littering. "Those
<br />things are as big or bigger than the fact they're growing an illegal drug." Also, the majority of the drug cartels funding marijuana cultivation also are involved in trafficking methamphetamine
<br />and cocaine, and the quick cash marijuana can provide finances those other operations, Jackson said. Last year, sheriff's deputies seized more than 29,000 pot plants during the outdoor
<br />growing season in Santa Cruz County….. http://www.mercurynews.com/centralcoast/ci_12767880 Over 12,000 Marijuana Plants Eradicated POSTED: 2:24 pm PDT July 9, 2009 CALIENTE, Calif. --Three
<br />men and more than 12,000 marijuana plants were seized Wednesday at a remote location in Eastern Kern County. Around 6 a.m., deputies served a search warrant at a remote location on Rankin
<br />Ranch. When deputies arrived, they spotted five people. Two of them were immediately taken into custody and three ran, the Kern County Sheriff’s Department reported. Of the three who
<br />ran, two escaped, but deputies were able to chase down and use a Taser on one of them, the KCSD reported. Deputies seized three pistols from where they originally made contact with suspects.
<br />Deputies said they were able to eradicate 12,169 marijuana plants as well as more than 5 pounds of processed marijuana. The KCSD said that the people had set up camp, clear cut the forest
<br />areas, planted the marijuana, and were in the process of harvesting it……. http://www.turnto23.com/news/20007367/detail.html Millions in Pot Seized in California Bust Story by turnto23.com
<br />/July 15th, 2009 WHEELER RIDGE, Calif. --A large marijuana bust has potentially taken millions in marijuana off the streets. The Sheriff Department's Major Violators Unit served a warrant
<br />Friday in a remote area of the southern Kern mountains east of Interstate 5. In conjunction with the Bureau of Land Management, the D.E.A. and HIDTA, deputies seized $37.6 million worth
<br />of marijuana. Deputies located three men who were clipping buds from a plant, but they ran off into the forest before they could be arrested. Deputies then located a campsite, as well
<br />as a large pot garden and two smaller ones. In all, they seized about 9,400 plants and ten pounds of processed marijuana. No arrests have been made in connection with the drug bust.
<br />The investigation is on-going. http://www.officer.com/web/online/Top-News-Stories/Millions-in-Pot-Seized-in-California-Bust/1$47550
<br />Medical Marijuana and Associated Issues California Chiefs of Police Association Medical Marijuana Task Force July to September 2009 14 Deputies find large pot garden, encounter armed
<br />suspects Written by Elizabeth Larson /Thursday, 16 July 2009 LAKE COUNTY – On Tuesday local and federal law enforcement officials eradicated a massive illegal marijuana garden in the
<br />Mendocino National Forest, encountering armed suspects in the process. The Lake County Sheriff's SWAT Team and detectives from the US Forest Service seized approximately 130,000 plants
<br />and five firearms – including a Tec 9 assault weapon with a makeshift silencer – according to sheriff's Capt. Rob Howe……Howe said this is the third marijuana cultivation operation so
<br />far this year in which sheriff's deputies have encountered armed suspects. Howe noted, “We are very grateful these suspects have not pointed their weapons or fired at our personnel.”
<br />Concerns over dangers about illegal marijuana growing operations on public and private lands led Sheriff Rod Mitchell to post a public safety message late last week on his Web site.
<br />The video presentation can be found in its entirety here: http://lakesheriff.com/weed_warning.asp . The video explains that violence in connection with marijuana growing is increasing.
<br />Last September, the county saw the first murder associated with a growing operation. In that case, the body of a Santa Rosa man was found in an illegal grow on Socrates Mine Road, where
<br />he had been shot to death, as Lake County News has reported. The sheriff's office reported that 2009 is “already surpassing last year in seizures and violence.” While eradicating a grow
<br />on Socrates Mine Road in June, deputies encountered two armed suspects who fled and evaded capture, according to the report. In addition to locating firearms and armed growers, deputies
<br />have discovered booby traps, such as a rat trip outfitted with a shotgun shell, which they recreated and shot through a human-shaped target. They've also found rat and mouse poison,
<br />litter and other environmental concerns in the grows. Nearly all of the illegal grows are discovered and eradicated through the use of helicopters, which the county rents from private
<br />companies and pays for through a $275,000 Drug Enforcement Administration Grant. Tuesday's raid brings this year's total for eradications to more than 285,000 plants and 15 arrests,
<br />based on various sheriff's reports. That puts Lake County – which in recent years has led all of California's 58 counties in eradications of illegal marijuana – close to Mendocino County,
<br />which so far this year has netted close to 280,000 plants, made close to 60 arrests and seized around 50 firearms at more than 90 sites. http://lakeconews.com/content/view/9542/764/Calif.
<br />Cops Destroy Over 40,000 Pot Plants BALCH CAMP, Calif., July 23, 2009 Authorities Raid Illegal Marijuana Growers' Camps in Remotes Areas of Central Valley (CBS/AP) Sheriff's deputies
<br />in Fresno County are continuing a marijuana plant eradication program, raiding several illegal outdoor gardens (including sites erected in state and national parks) and netting tens
<br />of thousands of pot plants…..A single plant may produce $4,000 worth of marijuana. A report by the National Drug Intelligence Center says California's Central Valley is one of the most
<br />significant cultivation areas for cannabis in the country. In 2008 authorities eradicated more than 5.3 million cannabis plants (both indoor-and outdoor-grown) in the state, according
<br />to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and about one-quarter of those were in the Central Valley. Data also shows that outdoor cultivation has been on the rise over the past five
<br />years in Fresno, Kern, Shasta and Tulare Counties. During a raid near Balch Camp, Calif., Lt. Bob Miller of the Fresco County Sheriff's Department told CBS affiliate KGPE that illegal
<br />growers cut down and cleared out trees and hauled in fertilizers, drip lines and other equipment. "Extremely, extremely sophisticated operations," he said. The eradication of the illegal
<br />gardens is not just to keep drugs off the streets but also to prevent
<br />Medical Marijuana and Associated Issues California Chiefs of Police Association Medical Marijuana Task Force July to September 2009 15 environmental damage: Highly-toxic chemicals from
<br />the growing sites -from pesticides and chemical repellents to rat poison -pollute watersheds, harming fish and wildlife and eventually getting into the water supply. The Fresno Bee reports
<br />that at one encampment in the foothills of the eastern part of Fresno County, approximately 10,000 plants were growing in a one-third acre patch. A shelter with kitchen and canned supplies
<br />were also found. Forest Service volunteers will help clear out trash from the encampments. Also this week, authorities removed about 3,500 marijuana plants found growing in park land
<br />in the Santa Monica Mountains. The National Park Service said Wednesday that trash, pipes, camping equipment, fertilizer and pesticides were also removed Tuesday from three plantations
<br />-two located in Malibu Creek State Park and one in the Zuma-Trancas Canyon area. Authorities said it costs up to $12,000 to clean up an acre of cultivated pot, taking away money that
<br />could be spent on other public services. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/07/23/national/main5182462.shtml?tag=topnews Large Marijuana Operation Eradicated North of East Camino Cielo
<br />Authorities seize more than 25,000 plants with a total street value of $75 million The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department and the U.S. Forest Service on Friday conducted a joint
<br />eradication and investigation of a large marijuana operation in an isolated canyon in Los Padres National Forest. The operation, in Blue Canyon north of East Camino Cielo, netted more
<br />than 25,000 plants with an estimated street value of $75 million…... http://www.noozhawk.com/local_news/article/072409_large_marijuana_grow_eradicated_in_los_padres _canyon/$1 billion
<br />in marijuana seized in California The U.S. drug czar says it is a high-intensity drug trafficking area Suspects have links to Mexican drug cartels, authorities says At least 330,000
<br />marijuana plants have been seized Operation is expected to continue into November By Nick Valencia /CNN /Thu July 23, 2009 (CNN) --Authorities have seized $1 billion worth of marijuana
<br />plants and have arrested 82 Mexican nationals with ties to drug cartels in the first week and half of an effort to eradicate marijuana fields from California's Fresno County, the county
<br />sheriff's office said Wednesday. The 82 suspects arrested so far have links to Mexican drug cartels……Eastern Fresno County, where the seizures have been made, is mountainous and sparsely
<br />populated. Growers exploit the area's streams, rivers and lakes to create elaborate drip lines for their plants. A mature plant can be worth $4,000, said Fresno County Sheriff Margaret
<br />Mims. "Fresno County is roughly the size of Connecticut, and the drug traffickers target these areas because they know there is not that significant of a law-enforcement presence," Mims
<br />said. "The chances of getting caught are slim." "The bottom line is our public lands are being destroyed destroyed by foreign drug trafficking and heavily armed Mexican cartels," George
<br />Anderson of the U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday at a news conference highlighting the seizures. The operation is the largest in Fresno County history and one of the largest
<br />in California, Mims said. "What makes this operation unique is the approach: prevention, enforcement, eradication and reclamation," she said. Intelligence gathered for the operation
<br />began in February, with community presentations about prevention. The effort is now focused on shutting down the at least 70 marijuana farms identified by local authorities. The operation
<br />is expected to continue into November, when colder weather makes marijuana growing more difficult. At least 330,000 marijuana plants have been seized…… http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/07/23/us
<br />.marijuana.bust/index.html
<br />Medical Marijuana and Associated Issues California Chiefs of Police Association Medical Marijuana Task Force July to September 2009 16 Sheriff's team eradicates marijuana July 28, 2009
<br />Tulare County Sheriff's Department personnel Monday eradicated 1,369 marijuana plants from a garden on private land in the Eshom Valley area near Badger. The plants had a potential street
<br />value of $5.48 million, according to a department news release. No arrests were reported as a result of the 7 a.m. operation by the Sheriff's Department's Tactical Enforcement Personnel
<br />team. http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20090728/NEWS01/907280327 Raid yields 5,000 marijuana plants near Sonoma The Associated Press /07/29/2009 SONOMA, Calif.—Sonoma County
<br />authorities have found thousands of marijuana plants in a raid of marijuana gardens in a remote area near Sonoma. Lt. Sandy Geaslin with the Sonoma County Sheriff?s Department says agents
<br />discovered 5,000 marijuana plants Wednesday morning in several gardens growing in an area surrounded by vineyards and woods. Two people believed to be guarding the gardens were taken
<br />into custody. A third person escaped. Authorities estimate the street of the plants to be around $15 million. http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_12940584 Marijuana grow found in
<br />downtown Folsom By Don Chaddock, The Telegraph An eagle-eyed helicopter pilot spotted something odd while flying over downtown Folsom on Thursday -an illegal marijuana growing operation.
<br />When Folsom Police officers checked the site on Thursday, they discovered 100 marijuana plants growing near a public bike trail at Sibley Street and Glenn Drive. Pilot Kevin Vinatieri
<br />spotted the grow from the air and it's not the first time the CHP officer has uncovered such an operation in that spot. This is the third time in four years a marijuana growing operation
<br />has been discovered in the area by Vinatieri, according to the Folsom Police Department. The street value of the plants is estimated at $76,000. There are no suspects at this time. http://edhtelegrap
<br />h.com/detail/126027.html 30,000 marijuana plants seized in Humboldt County Allison White/The Times-Standard /08/01/2009 Four days of raiding outdoor marijuana gardens had local law enforcement
<br />seizing 30,000 plants with the help of the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting. Throughout the week, CAMP teams eradicated 13,000 marijuana plants from Hoopa Valley tribal land and timber
<br />company property; 8,200 plants from California State Parks land and timber company property near Pepperwood; 6,200 plants from timber company property near Blocksburg; and 1,000 plants
<br />on U.S. Forest Service property near Orleans, according to a Humboldt County Sheriff's Office press release.….. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_12972924 Authorities find,
<br />destroy pot groves in Balch Park August 03, 2009 12:47 AM A shooting in a mountainous area above Porterville led authorities to a massive marijuana growing operation that caused extensive
<br />damage to public lands. The shooting was reported Saturday by two
<br />Medical Marijuana and Associated Issues California Chiefs of Police Association Medical Marijuana Task Force July to September 2009 17 hikers who accidentally walked into a grow site
<br />in the area of Balch Park and Rancheria Creek, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department reports. The hikers said they were confronted by those cultivating the illegal weed, who fired an
<br />unknown number shots at them and demanded that they leave the area. One of the hikers was hit in the face with what looks to be shotgun pellets, authorities report. Deputies from the
<br />Porterville substation as well as resident deputies responded to the area and found the hikers. Medical personnel treated the shooting victim and transported him to Sierra View District
<br />Hospital, where he was later released. Deputies from specialized units of the Sheriff’s Department found a trail leading to the grow site and searched the area. They were not able to
<br />find the suspects. They did find four grow sites and ultimately destroyed
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