LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Four men were arrested this week during the service of a search warrant on a Lower Lake property, where authorities discovered an estimated 1,000 pounds of processed marijuana.
Juan Alvarez, 29, and Apolinar Contreras, 33, both out of Lower Lake; Jorge Padilla, 61, of Bodega Bay; and Eduardo Carrillo, 46, of Santa Rosa were taken into custody on Wednesday, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Brooks said that in August, during a routine overflight operation, Sheriff's Narcotics Task Force detectives located a large scale marijuana cultivation operation on a property in the 22000 block of Morgan Valley Road in Lower Lake.
On Tuesday, Sheriff's Narcotics Task Force detectives secured a search warrant for the structures and property located at that site and served the search warrant the following day, Brooks said.
Upon entering the property, detectives saw Alvarez and Contreras fleeing the property on foot. Brooks said both men ignored any order to stop by deputies and both were eventually apprehended after an approximately quarter-mile foot chase into the surrounding canyons.
Brooks said deputies detained Padilla at the scene.
The property contained two separate outdoor marijuana cultivation sites, which had been mostly harvested at the time of the warrant service, Brooks said. The property originally contained approximately 130 marijuana plants outdoors.
A large, approximately 60-foot by 40-foot commercial metal building was located that was completely full of processed marijuana. Brooks said an additional 10, 1-pound bags of processed marijuana also were located at the scene.
The total amount of bulk processed marijuana was more than 1,000 pounds, Brooks said.
Brooks said that while deputies were still on scene, later in the day, Carrillo arrived and also was placed under arrest.
Padilla and Carrillo were placed under arrest for felony charges of cultivation of marijuana and possession of marijuana for sale, while Alvarez and Contreras were arrested for felony cultivation of marijuana and possession of marijuana for sale in addition to resisting/obstructing a peace officer for fleeing the scene, Brooks said.
He said the men were transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked.