Deputies discovered more than 400 marijuana plants growing at a property in Lakeside this week, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department confirmed Friday.
On Wednesday morning, deputies from the Santee Community Oriented Policing & Problem Solving (COPPS) unit executed a search warrant at a property in the 12000 block of Old Barona Road.
Officials had been investigating the property for suspicion of marijuana cultivation.
During the search, deputies discovered two women, ages 83 and 61, living on the property in tents. The original home on the property had burned down in the Cedar Fires and had not been rebuilt, investigators said.
In its place were the women’s tents, as well as five large, newly-constructed sheds all being used for indoor marijuana cultivation. Deputies also discovered marijuana plants being grown in outdoor greenhouses.
In total, deputies found 433 pot plants in various stages of growth, along with 59 dried and cut marijuana plants and multiple jars of marijuana buds.
Deputies also discovered suspected psilocybin spores and a hash oil extraction lab on the property.
The investigation into this large Lakeside marijuana grow is ongoing, and deputies say no arrests have been made just yet. The women living on the property were detained for questioning, and investigators are now searching for additional suspects tied to the grow.
Anyone with information on this case should contact the Sheriff’s Department at (858) 565-5200 or the Crime Stoppers tip line at (888) 580-8477.
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