Glendale police seize hundreds of marijuana plants after reportedly discovering elaborate grow operation
What started as a routine wellness check by Glendale police officers on Monday led to the alleged discovery of an illegal marijuana grow operation and the seizure of more than 600 plants.
Officers with the Glendale Police Department were in the 100 block of Wonderview Drive at around 12:40 a.m. after receiving a call about a person yelling for help from one of the homes in the neighborhood.
After speaking with the home’s occupant, 38-year-old Rui Yun Guan, officers entered the residence and discovered it had been converted into an elaborate marijuana grow operation, according to Tahnee Lightfoot, a spokeswoman for the department.
She said it’s unknown if Guan was the person who yelled for help.
She added that every room inside the home was filled with marijuana plants. A bed was also found in one of the rooms, and Guan was allegedly the only occupant.
As part of the illicit operation, the home was filled with a ventilation system to control the smell of the plants and high-powered lights to encourage them to grow, Lightfoot said.
There were no visible signs of the operation from the exterior of the house.
“From the street, there were window coverings like curtains but, on the inside, they were all boarded up,” Lightfoot said.
In order to power the equipment and circumvent paying utilities, Lightfoot said the home illegally tapped into the city’s electricity grid.
Guan was taken into custody on suspicion of grand theft and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Officers confiscated the 604 marijuana plants in the home and disassembled the grow operation. City officials also yellow-tagged the home, meaning access to it is restricted.
The alleged crime remains under investigation, and anyone with information regarding the home is encouraged to contact Glendale police at (818) 548-3120.
Twitter: @Andy_Truc
