yumyumbubblegum
The Beez Kneez
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2008
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All I can say is IDIOTS!
WILLOWS -- Authorities Thursday were searching for the proprietor of a bargain store in Willows where nearly 1,300 marijuana plants were discovered growing in the basement.
The elaborate indoor garden was found Wednesday afternoon in the 99 Cents with Value store on West Sycamore Street, in downtown Willows.
Glenn Interagency Narcotics Task Force agents located the illegal garden after entering the building on a search warrant.
GLINTF Commander Curtis Parks said Thursday there are no suspects yet, but investigators found documents showing the last proprietor of the store is Ricky The Chu, whose last known address is in Oakland. He said Chu is considered a "person of interest," and is wanted for questioning.
Investigators don't know if Chu was inside the garden at any time or how long the plants were grown there.
Parks said authorities hadn't even known about the garden until around 1 p.m. Wednesday when his office learned of a report to Willows police of a strong odor of marijuana at the building. Officers arriving at the scene confirmed the smell, which Parks said was strong and unmistakable.
He said the setup inside the basement was very sophisticated and expensive. Agents and officers discovered 1,297 pot plants in various growth stages, and sophisticated lighting and watering equipment.
The estimated street value of the plants, if they had reached maturity, is about $1.3 million, Parks said. The cultivation equipment is valued at about $60,000.
The growers also may have illegally obtained power. Parks said a PG&E technician called to the scene found the electric service meter had been bypassed.
Parks said he's uncertain how long the garden was in the basement. From what investigators learned so far, the proprietor opened the store last June and closed it in September. The store itself was found intact with items for sale still on shelves. But Parks said most people questioned have said the store had been closed for months.
Local business owners reportedly told officers Wednesday they had smelled marijuana in the area during the past several weeks.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Ricky The Chu and/or his associates is asked to call Glenn Interagency Narcotics Task Force at 865-1130
hxxp://www.chicoer.com/ci_11412267?source=rss
WILLOWS -- Authorities Thursday were searching for the proprietor of a bargain store in Willows where nearly 1,300 marijuana plants were discovered growing in the basement.
The elaborate indoor garden was found Wednesday afternoon in the 99 Cents with Value store on West Sycamore Street, in downtown Willows.
Glenn Interagency Narcotics Task Force agents located the illegal garden after entering the building on a search warrant.
GLINTF Commander Curtis Parks said Thursday there are no suspects yet, but investigators found documents showing the last proprietor of the store is Ricky The Chu, whose last known address is in Oakland. He said Chu is considered a "person of interest," and is wanted for questioning.
Investigators don't know if Chu was inside the garden at any time or how long the plants were grown there.
Parks said authorities hadn't even known about the garden until around 1 p.m. Wednesday when his office learned of a report to Willows police of a strong odor of marijuana at the building. Officers arriving at the scene confirmed the smell, which Parks said was strong and unmistakable.
He said the setup inside the basement was very sophisticated and expensive. Agents and officers discovered 1,297 pot plants in various growth stages, and sophisticated lighting and watering equipment.
The estimated street value of the plants, if they had reached maturity, is about $1.3 million, Parks said. The cultivation equipment is valued at about $60,000.
The growers also may have illegally obtained power. Parks said a PG&E technician called to the scene found the electric service meter had been bypassed.
Parks said he's uncertain how long the garden was in the basement. From what investigators learned so far, the proprietor opened the store last June and closed it in September. The store itself was found intact with items for sale still on shelves. But Parks said most people questioned have said the store had been closed for months.
Local business owners reportedly told officers Wednesday they had smelled marijuana in the area during the past several weeks.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Ricky The Chu and/or his associates is asked to call Glenn Interagency Narcotics Task Force at 865-1130
hxxp://www.chicoer.com/ci_11412267?source=rss
