Signal Hill police seized more than 3,000 marijuana plants last week while investigating a burglary report at a commercial building in the area of Obsipo Avenue and 19th Street, according to documents recently filed in Long Beach Superior Court.
On Wednesday, July 12, officers were called just after 5:30 a.m. to the 3200 block of East 19th Street after someone in the area reported seeing damage to a property in the area, according to the warrant.
When officers arrived, they found a vehicle gate that had been taken off its tracks and a garage door that had been smashed in, authorities said.
In addition, officers could smell and see marijuana plants in “plain view,” according to the warrant.
The officers proceeded to conduct a sweep of the property to make sure nobody was inside, and that’s when they discovered an illegal marijuana growing operation with several thousand marijuana plants in various growing stages under heating lamps, fans and lights, according to authorities.
In total, 3,028 marijuana plants were seized (2,148 juvenile and 880 fully matured), along with several water and electricity bills, according to the warrant.
Authorities have since filed and were granted a court order allowing them to destroy the marijuana plants.
“The Signal Hill Police Department has determined it is not reasonably possible to preserve marijuana plants, which create a biohazard during the decomposition process,” SHPD Detective Andrew Lopez wrote in his request to destroy the plants.
“The contaminated paraphernalia and chemicals used in cultivation also create a health risk to evidence personnel during storage and processing.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify the court order allowing for the destruction of the marijuana plants.
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