FAMILY FLEES GROW-RIP BUT HOMEOWNER GETS CHARGED FOR GROWING POT

The owner of a house on Bridgeport Road received the fright of a
lifetime on Friday during a home invasion. But that could be just the
beginning of her troubles.

Wen Yan Wu, who owns the two-storey house at 10371 Bridgeport Rd.,
was one of three people charged this week with production of a
controlled substance and possession for the purpose of trafficking.

The 30-year-old is also the mother of the two toddlers, a boy and a
girl ages two and three, who were placed in the care of the Ministry
of Children and Family Development after what police believe was an
attempted grow-rip. Inside the home, police found about 600 marijuana plants.

It's rarely been the case that local police have charged the owner of
a house with growing large quantities of marijuana on their own property.

What almost always happens is that the people who reside in a grow
op, referred to as the gardeners, are simply renters who tend and in
some cases guard the illegal and lucrative crop.

In this case, with Wu being the owner, RCMP investigators may have an
opportunity to use proceeds of crime legislation in an attempt to
have the home, assessed last year at $472,000, forfeited.

"We haven't seen a lot of that in Richmond," Richmond RCMP Cpl. Peter
Thiessen said of homeowners being charged with growing marijuana.

In addition, the cost of Friday's police response may also be borne
by Wu. A new city bylaw empowers the city to bill homeowners the cost
of responding to and cleaning up marijuana grow ops.

On Friday, around 12:45 a.m., the front door to the home was kicked
down and two people rousted a terrified mother and two-year-old child
out of the newer home.

According to police, they responded to a 911 call received from a
woman who was screaming. When officers arrived, they found the
damaged front door and marijuana being grown inside several rooms.

A man and a woman along with a three-year-old child were found inside
the house.

About 45 minutes later, officers found a woman in pyjamas and a
two-year-old child wearing "very little clothing," walking on Bridgeport Road.

The residents of the home spoke only Cantonese and provided police
with few details.

Several rooms in the home were being used to grow marijuana, and
plant food, fertilizer and irrigation equipment were stored in a bathroom.

Seized were the typical offerings inside a grow-op: fans, shades,
ventilation tubes and air filters, high intensity light bulbs as well
as irrigation and nutrient-pumping equipment.

Also charged with production of a controlled substance and possession
for the purpose of trafficking are Wen Ying Wu, the 27-year-old
sister of the homeowner, and Wan Hong Lee, 35. All are Richmond residents.

They were released on their own recognizance and are next scheduled
to appear in Richmond provincial court on Jan. 12 at 9 a.m.