Residential Burglary Leads to Marijuana Bust and Seizure of 900 Plants

An attempted burglary of two Rosanna Street residences ended in the arrest of three people and the seizure of over 900 marijuana plants worth an estimated street value of $400,000.

A Gilroy police officer was patrolling the area around the 7100 block of Rosanna Street around 3 a.m., Tuesday, when he saw several suspicious parked vehicles, Sgt. Chad Gallacinao of the Gilroy Police Department wrote in a prepared statement.

The suspects fled in multiple vehicles upon seeing the officer, with three of the suspects driving off in a truck containing a noticeable amount of pot plants, Gallacinao wrote.

“The trunk of one of the vehicles, a Honda Sedan, wouldn’t close due to the large amount of marijuana plants that were in the vehicle’s trunk,” Gallacinao wrote.

Police made contact with the occupants of the Sedan, who they identified as David Vasquez, 18, Armando Gonzalez, 18, and Rene Lujan, 19.

During the preliminary investigation, officers located equipment associated with an indoor marijuana cultivation operation on the ground where the vehicles had been parked and identified two nearby residences which were burglarized by Vasquez and other possible suspects.

During a safety check of the residences police located, “An elaborate indoor marijuana cultivation operation,” and a rigged PG&E electrical box utilized to provide electricity to both residences. Gilroy Fire crew and PG&E officials provided a safety check of the electrical box, which they considered a safety hazard.

PG&E later estimated that the rigged electrical box amounted to $160,000 in stolen electric power, Gallacinao wrote.  

After securing the residences, the GPD's Anti-Crime Team (ACT) and the California Department of Justice's Unified Narcotic Enforcement Team (UNET) obtained a search warrant and assumed the investigation, subsequently seizing hydroponic grow lights, irrigation systems, chemicals, fertilizer and the abundant mass of pot plants. 

Police believe Vasquez burglarized the two residences along with the outstanding suspects, while Gonzalez and Lujan were involved in the possession and transportation of the plants.

“Thus far, it appears Vasquez and other suspects burglarized the residences and stole marijuana plants that belonged to the marijuana cultivation suspects,” Gallacinao wrote. “At this time, it does not appear that Vasquez, Gonzalez or Lujan were responsible for the illegal cultivation of marijuana.”

Gonzalez and Lujan were both arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana for the purpose of sale and the transportation or marijuana, with Lujan being arrested additionally for probation violation, Gallacinao wrote. Vasquez was arrested on suspicion of residential burglary, possession of marijuana for the purpose of sale and the transportation of marijuana.

The investigation remains on-going as detectives work to identify the additional suspects involved in both the residential burglary and illegal indoor cultivation of marijuana.

Tuesday’s bust is apparently one of similar indoor marijuana operations discovered in Gilroy within the last few years, prompting police to encourage residents to observe their neighborhoods for suspicious activity. 

“Community members should be aware of activity within their neighborhoods, to prevent the fire dangers and potential health hazards associated with indoor marijuana cultivation operations,” Gallacinao wrote.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact detective Bill Richmond at (408) 846-0350, or leave anonymous tips by calling the department’s We-Tip line at 1-800-782-7463 (1-800-78-Crime).