UKIAH FIRE CAPTAIN, 2 OTHERS FACE POT CHARGES

A veteran Ukiah fire captain was arrested for marijuana cultivation
at her home in Ukiah's west hills, an indication of how deeply rooted
the marijuana industry is in Mendocino County.

Deputy Fire Marshal Teri Israel, a 13-year employee with the Ukiah
Fire Department, and two other people at her home were arrested for
marijuana cultivation Friday afternoon, said sheriff's Lt. Rusty Noe.

Law enforcement officials confiscated 648 plants of varying sizes
from inside Israel's Canyon Court home when they went there to serve
a probation violation arrest warrant for her daughter, who was not
there, Noe said.

Noe said he's not surprised when established members of the community
are involved in marijuana production. Israel's is the third marijuana
case involving well-known Ukiah-area residents since November.

"It's ingrained," Noe said.

About half of the plants seized at Israel's home were seedlings. The
rest were about a foot tall, said Cmdr. Bob Nishiyama of the
Mendocino Major Crimes Task Force. About a pound of processed
marijuana also was found, he said.

Israel could not be reached Tuesday for comment.

Ukiah Fire Chief Tony Clarabut said he can confirm only that an
employee of the department is on administrative leave pending an
internal investigation.

Israel was not booked into the county jail. She was released on a
citation for marijuana cultivation, Nishiyama said. Citations are
commonly issued in connection with pot cultivation, largely because
of the confusion surrounding medical marijuana laws, he said.

The citations are forwarded to the District Attorney's Office, where
a decision is made whether or not to file charges.

The District Attorney's Office had not received the citations as of
Tuesday, District Attorney Meredith Lintott said.

In addition to Israel, her son, Jeffrey Weston, and another man,
Victor Villalobos, were arrested. They received February court dates.

Villalobos claimed he had a medical marijuana card and that the
plants were being grown for him, Nishiyama said.

Israel's is the latest in a string of high-profile marijuana cases in
Mendocino County.

Laura Hamburg, a Ukiah activist and daughter of former Rep. Dan
Hamburg, is facing felony marijuana cultivation and distribution
charges following an October raid on her rural home, where an
estimated 50 pounds of processed pot and about $10,000 in cash were
allegedly found.

Hamburg reportedly has claimed the marijuana was being grown for
medicinal use. A preliminary hearing on her charges is scheduled Thursday.

In November, sheriff's deputies seized 39 pounds of dried pot from
the Redwood Valley home of Sherylin Young, the budget and finance
officer for the Mendocino County District Attorney's Office.

Because of her connection with the District Attorney's Office, the
case was sent to the state Attorney General's Office for review, Lintott said.

Young remains on administrative leave while the case is pending, she said.