$3M Worth Of Marijuana Discovered In Lake Elsinore

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — Authorities Tuesday arrested four alleged marijuana growers during a raid of a suspected illegal marijuana cultivation site in Lake Elsinore where more than 5,000 cannabis plants worth approximately $3 million were found growing.

Riverside County sheriff's deputies served a search warrant in the area of El Toro Road and Ellie Way at 7 a.m.

Lake Elsinore residents Elias Cano Vidal, 37; Gilberto Jesus Vidal, 32; Jaime Vidal, 18; and Loretto Soto Navarro, 26, were arrested at the property and booked into Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta on suspicion of misdemeanor marijuana cultivation.

The relation between the suspects, if any, was unclear.

According to sheriff's Sgt. Jeff Reese, the property came under investigation after deputies learned of a possible illegal marijuana grow at the location. A search warrant was obtained and served by investigators, who found about 5,000 marijuana plants "in various stages of growth" at the property, Reese said.

"Several" dried pounds of marijuana were also found, the sergeant said.

Reese said the investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information was asked to contact the sheriff's Lake Elsinore station at 951-245-3300.

Deputies have conducted numerous raids on properties throughout the Temescal Valley, Lake Elsinore, La Cresta and neighboring communities over the past two years, targeting illegal grows.

The Board of Supervisors has authorized some indoor cultivation sites in unincorporated areas, but the enterprises are strictly regulated and limited to commercially zoned locations.

No outdoor commercial marijuana sites have been approved.