4 KIDS IN DEADLY PERIL AT GROW-OP

Children Taken By CAS Were Exposed To Carbon Monoxide Fumes

THREE YOUNG siblings were rescued by the York Region Children's Aid
Society from a marijuana grow house that had deadly amounts of carbon
monoxide because of disconnected furnace ducts. A 15-year-old girl
from another family living at the house was also taken into CAS care
after Tuesday morning's raid.

IN SCHOOL

The ducts were removed because the grower believed the the fumes would
help the plants grow faster.

The grower's kids, a boy, 4, and two girls, aged, 3 and 9, were in
school during the 9 a.m. raid by York Regional Police drug cops of
their William Honey Ct. home, in the Steeles Ave.-McCowan Rd. area of
Markham.

Police called in the CAS, which first went looking for the kids at
another home on Wilclay Ave. Police were called to that house when
another grow operation involving 1,000 plants was uncovered. Two
people there were arrested. They were also wanted in the U.S. for
trying to import dope.

Det. Don Cardwell said two other kids also live at the William Honey
home, in a rented room they share with their father. While one was
taken into care, the other is of age, 17.

He said 953 plants were found in the William Honey basement grow-op
but when the lead officer tried to enter the lower level, he began to
immediately feel ill because of high carbon monoxide.

Cardwell said there's been a growing but potentially deadly trend
among people setting up operations: Taking apart the furnace ductwork
to allow fumes into the house.

He wants the word out that growers have to change the potentially
deadly practice.

The kids' father was arrested at the scene and their mom was arrested
later.

Names of the charged were not released to protect the children's
identities.

Meanwhile, the unit had barely finished the paperwork dealing with
this raid when they mopped up two other Markham operations yesterday,
netting a total of 420 plants and arresting two adults.