Power Outage Leads Police to “Factory-Like” Marijuana Operation

Narcotics officers raided the premises in the 600 block of South Santa Fe Street after receiving a tip

An estimated 2,100 plants were found during a marijuana factory bust in Santa Ana Wednesday.

Narcotics officers raided the property in the 600 block of South Santa Fe Street after receiving a tip, the Santa Ana Police Department said.

The "factory-like" operation consisted of between 13 and 14 rooms, which housed plants of various sizes, Cpl. Anthony Beragna said. Suspicions were raised after a transformer serving the premises blew on Tuesday night, which caused power to be cut to many businesses in the area.

When code enforcement officials visited the building on Wednesday morning they  noticed a dozen air condition units outside.

The raid then took place at around 2 p.m, with officers smashing a front window to obtain entry when no one answered the door. Inside they found the plants, which were serviced with lights and water, despite the business being listed outside as an airplane parts company.

No arrests were reported Thursday morning. Investigators are hoping local distributors and the property's owners will be able to provide leads so they can catch the growers.

 
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