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El Monte police find city's
biggest-ever pot grow
June 4, 2011 - pasadenastarnews.com
EL MONTE - A report of a break-in led El Monte police to discover the
largest marijuana-growing operation ever found in the city, authorities
said.
About 5,000 pot plants, valued at about $1 million, were found growing
inside a commercial building at 2520 Continental Avenue, El Monte
police Detective Ralph Batres said.
"It's the biggest marijuana grow in the history of El Monte," the
detective said.
A witness called 9-1-1 early Saturday to report seeing five men trying
to force their way into the building, Batres said.
The men, who were wearing gloves, had backed a U-Haul truck into the
parking lot of the building, he said.
Arriving sheriff's deputies and police officers found the five burglary
suspects, who were carrying gardening shears, Batres said. One of the
suspects indicated there was a marijuana grow inside the building.
Benjamin Kwok, 37, of San Gabriel; Louie Frank Fraijo, 28, of Baldwin
Park; Raymond Guan, 29, of Rosemead; Xing Xi He, 24, of Baldwin Park;
and a 17-year-old San Gabriel boy were booked on suspicion of burglary,
El Monte police Lt. Richard Cano said.
Police obtained a search warrant to enter the building where they
discovered a massive, elaborate and sophisticated pot-growing operation.
Seven large rooms inside the structure housed between 300 and 600
mature marijuana plants each, complete with complex electrical,
ventilation, filter and hydroponic equipment. Windows had been covered
over with drywall making it impossible to look into the building from
the outside.
Batres said it appeared the burglars specifically targeted the
marijuana in the attempted break-in.
No arrests were made in connection with the marijuana grow, Batres
said, and investigators were working to determine who is responsible
for the building.
"Now the paper trail starts," he said.
Nearby neighbors said they were shocked to learn the nearby building
housed a massive marijuana farm.
"It was just like a normal business," said Andy Valle. Trucks would
come and go, and people would sometimes be seen loitering in the
parking lot as if on breaks from work.
Though Valle said he noticed the business didn't seem to take care of
it's landscaping and driveway as well as other nearby companies, he saw
nothing to indicate anything suspicious going on inside.
Batres credited the witness who originally reported the break-in for
the massive bust.
"The residents are our eyes and ears," he said. "Someone called it in,
and we got lucky on this one."
Every bust is the "biggest", somehow. Biggest in history, biggest bust on a holiday, biggest bust in this city, blah blah.... law enforcement's a bunch of fuckin' wankers
-------------------- Coaster said: so i got free drug coupons witch u floozies refer to as "money"....