4,000 Marijuana Plants Discovered In Hills Above Lake Elsinore

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — Thousands of marijuana plants with an estimated value of over $1 million were discovered Friday near forest land west of Lake Elsinore, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department announced Friday.

The find was made after a search warrant was served Friday morning off the Ortega Highway, according to the sheriff's department.

At the location, deputies found "a large-scale outdoor marijuana grow" with approximately 4,000 plants. A large sum of cash and a rifle were also seized, the agency reported.

Christopher David Sly, 55, of Lake Elsinore, and Bartolo Alvarez Chavez, 53, were arrested and booked into Cois Byrd Detention Center on suspicion of misdemeanor marijuana sales and marijuana cultivation.