POLICE FIND MAJOR INDOOR POT GARDEN

DOS PALOS -- Officers responding to a domestic disturbance call over
the weekend uncovered an indoor marijuana garden and arrested three people.

Dos Palos Detective Donavan Sizemore said the arrests and discovery
of the marijuana garden were the result of a 2 a.m. call Saturday
when officers responded to a domestic call in the [address deleted].

Officers reportedly found [name deleted] unconscious in bed from an
apparent overdose. Her 8-year-old son was sleeping in the bed with her.

She was taken to Los Banos Memorial Hospital for treatment and turned
over to the police after being released, the detective said.

The boy was turned over to Merced County Child Protective Services.

As a result, [name deleted], her reported boyfriend, [name deleted]
and [names deleted], were detained and later arrested, Sizemore said.

While in the residence, officers found an elaborate hydroponics
marijuana garden in one of the bedrooms, the detective said.

The occupants were detained at the residence until a warrant was
obtained and served around 6 a.m., the detective said.

Officers found approximately 42 plants in varying stages of growth.
The largest plants, already producing buds, would bring approximately
$100,000 on the streets if harvested.

He said the room was equipped with humidifiers and lamps to produce
light, and that the plants were irrigated by hoses leading from large
plastic water containers spaced around the bedroom.

A search of the residence turned up pornographic material, knives,
two .22-caliber rifles, scales, packaging material, various narcotic
paraphernalia and a large amount of cash in $20 denominations,
indicating the money came from drug sales.

A quantity of marijuana was found on the bed close to where the boy
was sleeping.

[name deleted] was brought back to the [address deleted] address when
released from the hospital and while being detained in the back of a
patrol vehicle she was let out by a relative.

She was apprehended a short distance away, and escape and resisting
charges were added, the detective said.

She was booked into Merced County Jail on suspicion of child abuse,
felony escape, resisting arrest and conspiracy.

She remained in custody Monday in lieu of $100,000 bail, said
sheriff's spokesman Scott Dover.

[name deleted] was booked on suspicion of child abuse, possession of
marijuana for sale, sale of marijuana, cultivation of marijuana,
maintaining a place where a narcotic is sold or used, possession of
an illegal weapon and conspiracy. He remained in custody Monday on
$50,000 bail.

[name deleted] was booked on suspicion of cultivation of marijuana,
possession of marijuana for sale, sale of marijuana, maintaining a
place where a narcotic is sold or used and conspiracy. He is in
custody on $20,000 bail.

[name and city deleted] was in the residence at the time of the
arrests and was cited for being in a place where a narcotic is sold
or used, then was released.