Arrest Made In 13,000 Marijuana Plant Discovery

LAKEPORT - Lake County Sheriff's officials on Thursday announced the arrest of a man they suspect of being responsible for growing over 13,000 marijuana plants.

Authorities say on April 4, 2016 the Sheriff’s Narcotics Unit was conducting routine overflight operations in Lake County.

According to the Sheriff's office, a large scale marijuana cultivation site in the bottom of a drainage was discovered on the South Fork of Scotts Creek, which is in a remote area west of Lakeport.

A search warrant was obtained for any tent or dwelling located within the cultivation site.

On June 20, at approximately 7:15 a.m., authorities say members of the Sheriff’s Narcotics Unit and BLM Rangers entered the cultivation site to serve the search warrant.

While doing their work, deputies say they noticed a man in the area wearing camouflage. Deputies say the man was walking from the creek bed uphill towards where the deputies and rangers were positioned.

As the suspect continued on the trail towards their location, deputies took him into custody.

The Sheriff's office says deputies and rangers cleared the grow site and a camp that was located.

According to deputies, the camp contained two tents and a large amount of food supplies.

Authorities say the marijuana was being irrigated using a complex gravity fed drip irrigation system, which was diverting water from a spring.

Lake County authorities say they located and eradicated 13,060 marijuana plants in four separate plots. The marijuana was described as being mature and in the late flowering stage.

Arrested was 46-year-old Jose Armando Gutierrez – Mardueno of Brentwood.

Authorities say Gutierrez was arrested for the cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale and resisting arrest. He was later transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office announced a similar-sized marijuana grow bust conducted on June 10, when 13,816 plants were found in the 2900 block of Valley View Road in Upper Lake.

-images via Lake County Sheriff's Department