SIBLINGS STILL IN CUSTODY AFTER PARENTS' POT ARREST

The 9-year-old boy who tipped deputies to his parents' suspected
marijuana crop remained in the custody of Fresno County's Child
Protective Services Wednesday, along with his 10-year-old sister.

The boy initially called 911 early Tuesday to report that his mother
was being beaten by his father. When sheriff's deputies arrived, the
boy led them to the back yard of their Britton Avenue home south of
Fresno and showed them two marijuana plants, authorities said Wednesday.

"My mom crushes the leaves, puts them in the microwave, and my parents
smoke it in pipes," the boy told a deputy, according to a sheriff's
report.

Sheriff's spokesman Dan Cervantes said the boy also told deputies that
his father had grabbed his wife around the neck and butted her against
a wall.

"She got loose and he slapped her in the face, and then the boy called
911," Cervantes said.

The father, 40, was arrested on charges of misdemeanor spousal abuse
and marijuana cultivation. His wife also was arrested on a
marijuana-cultivation count.

The couple were jailed briefly before being released on their own
recognizance. The boy and his sister, who slept through the arrests,
remained in county custody, however.

A man at their home said Wednesday that he didn't want to talk about
the incident.

"Why don't they just leave us alone?" said the man, who refused to
give his name. "We're just hard-working Americans."

#10572

Checked-by: "Rich O'Grady"