Two suspects are in custody after a failed attempt to rob a cannabis cultivation facility in Carpenteria, California early Wednesday morning.
At 6:25 a.m., officers from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office responded to an alarm at a marijuana grow site located within the 1500 block of Casitas Pass Road.
Employees told authorities that a group of individuals had broken into the cultivation facility and pepper sprayed one of the workers in the face before fleeing the premises in a white U-Haul van with Arizona plates.
California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers assisted Sheriff deputies in their search for the van and soon located it heading south on Highway 101.
CHP officers conducted a felony stop of the vehicle on Valentine Road after the driver exited the highway at Victoria Avenue in Ventura. Pepper spray was found inside the van, and both occupants were arrested.
According to a press release, the incident is currently under investigation by Sheriff detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division who are looking into the possibility of more suspects being involved in the robbery attempt.
Due to the active investigation, no further details are being released by the Sheriff’s Office at this time.
