# Shoddy wiring work exposes 800 pot plants in Castroville house



## FruityBud (May 5, 2009)

A faulty wiring job sparked a fire, exposing an indoor marijuana crop at a Castroville house early Sunday.

Authorities said about 800 marijuana plants were growing in the three bedroom house at 10820 Davis St. where the windows were boarded up and wires were apparently rigged to bypass the electricity meter to power lights and other equipment inside without raising suspicion.

"It's not your routine type of call," said North County Fire Lt. Jess Mendoza.

Mendoza and a crew were dispatched to the house about 2:30a.m. after a neighbor reported sparks shooting from the home's exterior electrical panel.

"As soon as we walked up to it, it arced and shot flames," Mendoza said.

Concerned the entire house could catch fire, and thinking someone might be inside, the firefighters knocked on the front door.

When no one came out, they broke down the door and took a look inside.

"We were shocked," Mendoza said Monday. "There wasn't anyone inside but there were 70 to 80 marijuana plants in each bedroom and there were three bedrooms."

The firefighters alerted Sheriff's deputies, who confiscated the equipment and plants.

Deputies said the plants could have produced up to $3.2 million of pot.

Mendoza said it appeared that whoever was growing the marijuana was preparing to put more plants in the garage. A wall had been built behind the garage roll-up door and firefighters had to cut through it to get inside.

Sheriff's Cmdr. Mike Richards said that while most marijuana crops in Monterey County are in outdoor gardens, indoor gardens are not uncommon.

"We come across an indoor grow once in a while," he said.

Deputies have made no arrests in Sunday's bust, but they are searching for a man who was renting the house where the marijuana was growing.

Richards said the man identified himself as Tomas Rios Soto to the property owner.

"We don't know if that's his real name," he said.

Indoor growers usually steal electricity so the power company won't alert police when they notice someone is using lots of power, Richards said.

"When you grow marijuana indoors, you are drawing a lot of power," he said. "Apparently, his wiring job wasn't that great. It probably just got so hot it caught fire."

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## PencilHead (May 7, 2009)

Uh, did someone say the very best way to get caught doing this is to try stealing power?


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## pcduck (May 7, 2009)

Did I do my math right?

80 plants X 3 # of bedrooms = 240 plants = $3,200,000?:confused2: :confused2: 

That must be some potent stuff:rofl:


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## donkey942 (May 7, 2009)

I agree police over price their busts trying to look good, their really was only good 10-30 grand their in pot.


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## Waspfire (May 7, 2009)

in the first paragraph says 800 plants then later down says there where 70-80 in 3 bedrooms which is 240 like pcduck said.What i wanna know is where the other 560 where at lol


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## NorCalHal (May 7, 2009)

FruityBud said:
			
		

> Indoor growers usually steal electricity so the power company won't alert police when they notice someone is using lots of power, Richards said.


 
I call bullpuckey!  Aside from his poor counting skills, this cop is a complete idiot. Stealing power for indoor grows is NOT the norm for indoor growers.


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## ozzydiodude (May 7, 2009)

NHC That is why hes a cop, not smart enough to run a cash register at Micky D's. Anyone bypassing a electric meter is asking for trouble. I was told it has components, that protect from electricity spikes that happen on the main lines that are greater than 120 volts


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## pcduck (May 7, 2009)

I think we know where all those extra plants went..:rofl:


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## PencilHead (May 7, 2009)

pcduck said:
			
		

> Did I do my math right?
> 
> 80 plants X 3 # of bedrooms = 240 plants = $3,200,000?:confused2: :confused2:
> 
> That must be some potent stuff:rofl:


 
Jeez, I feel like Jethro Bodine when he found the hippo and was taking orders in Beverly Hills for side meat: "One thousand times 10 cent...mmmmm...carry the naught over...carry the one over...Oh my god, I'm gone be a millionaire! 

If that's true, then I am a freakin millionaire too.


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## The Effen Gee (May 7, 2009)

Stealing power is NOT the norm for growers, but it IS the norm for dumb growers who get busted...


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## lordhighlama (May 7, 2009)

yep always seems to be the theme with these indoor busts.  The artical always starts with stealing power, that's when I stop feeling bad for whoever got busted.

There's just no excuse for being that ignorant! :ignore:


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## houseoftreasure (May 7, 2009)

UH... three bedrooms, at 70-80 plants, does NOT make 800 plants as stated in the FIRST LINE of this article. So assuming then that these fine educated folks that were smart enough to bypass the electric company, ALSO had some going in the living room, and maybe the kitchen, or perhaps just in the den. Just saying. I think we can learn something from ALL of these posts... STEALING POWER = JAIL. Pay your ******* bill and quit being cheap... Yeah lectric is spendy, but they are NOT contacting authorities cause your paying your bill, they ARE calling pigs when you STEAL from them. I think, we here at this site... got this point a while ago... but for some, it takes reminding.


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## aaonehundred (May 7, 2009)

I used to live 4 house's down from the guy... hahaha ..I remember hangin with my boys on Crane and Davis and smokin blunts all day. . .


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## The Effen Gee (May 7, 2009)

Man, Castroville...

Who would have thought? Certainly not me, there arent many houses there to begin with, mostly artechoke fields...


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## aaonehundred (May 7, 2009)

The Effen Gee said:
			
		

> Man, Castroville...
> 
> Who would have thought? Certainly not me, there arent many houses there to begin with, mostly artechoke fields...


lol. .too funny. . Belive it, when I used to live in Castroville I knew about acouple of grow houses's. .Also some up in the Prunedale area. I tell you this, my pops can make some damn good deep fried artichokes. . .:hubba:


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