Masked Burglars Were No Buds Of Temecula Weed Grower

TEMECULA, CA — A large illegal marijuana grow was found inside a Temecula-area home on Wednesday and hundreds of plants were seized — all after the homeowner called police to report someone was breaking into the residence, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department said.

It happened around 3:45 a.m. in the 45100 block of Morgan Heights Road, just outside the Temecula city limits on the southwestern part of town, according to Sgt. J. Wade. A person called to let police know that four or five people were breaking into a residence.

"The caller reported that they were not home and that they were monitoring the burglary from wireless surveillance camera system at the property. The reporting party stated that the subjects were inside the house and were wearing all black clothing with masks covering their faces.

The sheriff's department headed out to the location and found a rear sliding glass door open, Wade said. They didn't find anyone inside, but instead found a whole lot more, including "an illegal indoor marijuana grow operation."

Authorities requested a search warrant at that point.

"As a result of the search warrant, approximately 700 marijuana plants in various stages of growth were located and collected," Wade said. "Additionally, an extensive amount of water damage, vandalism and illegal modifications were located inside of the residence in order to operate the illegal grow."

"Lastly, the electrical supply to the residence had been illegally altered and tampered with allowing the theft of electrical services," Wade added.

No arrests were immediately announced.

The sheriff's department asked that if anyone has information related to this grow, to call the Special Enforcement Team at the Southwest Sheriff’s Station at (951) 696-3000.