Mountain Ranch, CA…On 9-21-17 at about 9:15am, members of the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office Marijuana Enforcement Team served a search warrant at a location in the 8000 block of West Murray Creek Road, Mountain Ranch. The property is not registered as a commercial medical cannabis cultivation site through the Calaveras County Planning Department.

Investigators had previously served a search warrant at this location earlier this year in May and eradicated 399 marijuana plants. Several subjects who fled on foot during that warrant service were not captured. It was later discovered that the cultivation operation at this location had continued.

Investigators found 33 year old Ricardo Cortes hiding in the brush near the growing marijuana on the property and arrested him for illegal marijuana cultivation – 11358(c)H&S. Cortes told investigators he only spoke Spanish. 240 marijuana plants were eradicated today weighing a total of 1700 pounds.