As part of an ongoing effort by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department to curb illegal marijuana cultivation, search warrants were served at multiple illegal cannabis grow sites on consecutive days this week.
On Wednesday, November 13, personnel from the California Water Board and the Riverside County Code Enforcement assisted the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Perris Station in the service of four marijuana cultivation search warrants in Nuevo, an unincorporated area of the county.
During the service of the warrants, authorities seized one shotgun, 1,098 cannabis plants, and five pounds of processed marijuana for a total of 905 pounds.
Three suspects, 63-year-old Luis Cisneros, 23-year-old Juan Salais, and 19-year-old Jaquelin Sabalsa, all Nuevo residents, were contacted and determined to be culpable in the cannabis cultivation activities occurring on their respective properties.
On Thursday, November 14, deputies assigned to the Lake Elsinore Station served a search warrant at a residence in the 35000 block of Frederick Street in Wildomar after having received complaints about possible illegal cannabis cultivation taking place there.
Authorities seized approximately 900 cannabis plants in various stages of growth from the location.
After Wildomar Code Enforcement deemed the house to be uninhabitable, the Edison Company responded to the residence to shut off the electricity as the electrical system there had been illegally altered and the wiring presented a severe fire hazard.
The value of the utilities stolen at the residence over the past six months was estimated by Edison to be approximately $30,000.
No one was located at the residence during the service of the warrant.
On Thursday, November 14, deputies at the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station served a separate warrant at a residence in the 39000 block of Calle De Campareno in the La Cresta community in Riverside County after receiving complaints about possible illegal cannabis cultivation there earlier in the month.
As deputies were announcing the service of the search warrant, two adult females attempted to flee out the back of the residence but were caught and detained.
38-year-old Meiyun Zhou and 22-year-old Xiao Mei Chen were both arrested and booked into Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrietta.
Approximately 1,700 cannabis plants in various stages of growth were seized from the residence, which had been completely converted to a marijuana cultivation operation.
The Edison Company responded to the residence and shut off the power when it was discovered that the electrical system at the location had been illegally altered and presented a fire hazard.
The estimated theft of utilities at the residence was placed at approximately $60,000
All investigations are currently open and ongoing.
