HTTP/1.0 200 OK Content-Type: text/html Marijuana Grow's Environmental Damage Shocks Sheriff's 
Pubdate: Sun, 16 Sep 2012
Source: Chico Enterprise-Record (CA)
Copyright: 2012 Chico Enterprise-Record
Contact:  http://www.chicoer.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/861
Note: Letters from newspaper's circulation area receive publishing priority

MARIJUANA GROW'S ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE SHOCKS SHERIFF'S OFFICE

MAGALIA - Detectives were "awestruck" at the environmental damage 
caused by terracing of a hillside and herbicides draining into the 
watershed for a marijuana grow they eradicated Wednesday in Magalia.

The Butte County Sheriff's Office Special Enforcement Unit served a 
search warrant on the 15000 block of Emma Mine Way, according to a 
Sheriff's Office press release. They allegedly found 272 of the 
illegal plants with a weight of 4,100 pounds being disguised under 
Proposition 215.

The Sheriff's Office used its helicopter to get rid of the plants on 
the steep hill.

Detectives allegedly found four people there working on the garden, 
according to the Sheriff's Office. One suspect fled into the canyon.

Noe Farias Cabbera and Carlos Zapien, both 27 of Redwood City, were 
arrested on suspicion of cultivation and sale of marijuana. Their 
bail was set at $100,000 each. Francisco Javier Quintero, 41, of 
Jalisco, Mexico was arrested on suspicion of cultivation of marijuana 
and his bail was set at $50,000. Immigration holds are pending on all three.

The environmental damage at the grow included a steep road cut from 
the top of the garden to the bottom just above Butte Creek Canyon, 
according to the Sheriff's Office. The cleared timber and brush was 
piled along the property's border, causing a fire hazard to nearby 
residences off Emma Mine Way and Tom's Trail.

Detectives expect erosion to occur when rain and snow fall in the 
next few months, according to the Sheriff's Office. An environmental 
investigation is being conducted.

 From evidence located at the Emma Mine Way location, detectives 
served two more search warrants Thursday at homes in the Paradise area.

At a house on the 5500 block of Longview Drive, detectives allegedly 
found an indoor marijuana grow that contained 131 plants, according 
to the Sheriff's Office. Investigators also reportedly found an 
indoor garden with 89 marijuana plants in a home on the 5900 block of 
Sunny Lane. All 220 plants were eradicated.

All of the plants at the three locations were estimated to be worth 
more than $2.6 million, according to the Sheriff's Office.

The investigation is continuing with more arrests expected.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom