Alert officer detects marijuana grow house; two arrested
A police officer investigating a residential burglar alarm activation in the northwest Cape discovered a marijuana grow house operation Monday.
Police found 46 cannabis plants weighing a total of 119 pounds with an estimated street value is $185,000 in the home at 1117 NW 21st Avenue, officials said..
Two people were detained and subsequently chared with trafficking in marijuana.
The Cape Coral Narcotics Unit was notified after the officer investigating the burglar alarm activation noticed a strong odor of marijuana coming from another house close by. The veteran officer suspected that this was a marijuana grow house operation and the Narcotics Unit obtained a search warrant for the home.
Prior to the execution of the search warrant, Cape Coral Police Officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle that left the house. The occupants, Alex Navarro, 33, of 4005 SW 27TH Ave. and Alejandro Gonzalez, 25, of 38 W Las Palmas Way, Kissimmee, were detained based on the probable cause for the search warrant and also because they smelled strongly of raw cannabis, officials said..
Once the residence was secured by the SWAT team, detectives located the plants.
“”This was really heads up police work by the officers of the Patrol Bureau’s 3rd Platoon. To discover an elaborate grow house operation and arrest two suspects for trafficking marijuana while investigating an unrelated alarm call is pretty amazing. This was a significant arrest, especially if you ask the residents in the neighborhood,” said police spokesperson Lt Tony Sizemore in a prepared statement.
“Historically, marijuana grow houses attract violent crime. We’ve had armed robberies as well as a homicide linked to marijuana grow house operations here in this city. Our Officers and Detectives remain vigilant for these reasons,” Sizemore. added.
– Source: Cape Coral Police Department