Pot Farm Found Near Yorba Linda

After the arrest of an 18-year-old man who allegedly had 20 pounds of fresh marijuana in his car, Brea police also found to a large marijuana farm on a remote hillside outside of Yorba Linda, authorities said.

Steven Joseph Shirinian was arrested Saturday during a routine traffic stop in Yorba Linda after Brea police officers found two large duffel bags of marijuana in his car, Brea Police Sgt. Clyde Wason said.

“It was very obvious that there was a strong smell of fresh marijuana coming from the car,” Wason said.

Shirinian was arrested on suspicion of possessing, transporting and cultivating marijuana for the purpose of sale. He was released Sunday, Wason said.

After the arrest, investigators were tipped off about a large marijuana-growing operation on a hillside north of Stonehaven Drive.

Police found the field late Saturday and guarded it overnight, Wason said. At daybreak Sunday, investigators found more than 550 marijuana plants growing in about 100 large green tubs. Each tub was supplied with water and fertilizer. The plants ranged in size from 4 inches to more than 6 feet tall, authorities said.

The tubs had been hidden under a canopy of brush so they couldn’t be spotted from the air. The plants were removed and booked into evidence, authorities said. Brea police don’t know if Shirinian was involved in the growing operation, Wason said.