Pot found growing in house near El Monte Airport; man arrested
A San Marino man has been arrested on suspicion of cultivating more than 700 marijuana plants in a sophisticated grow house near the El Monte Airport, police said Tuesday.
Neighbors had reported their suspicions about a town house on the 10900 block of Basye Street, with blacked-out windows and visitors coming and going at all hours.
Detectives staked out the home and pulled over Alexander Moy, 33, of San Marino as he was driving away Monday afternoon, said El Monte Police Det. Ralph Batres.
Police obtained a search warrant for the home, where they found at least 700 marijuana plants in various stages of cultivation, along with commercial lighting and temperature control devices.
Operators of the grow house also had cut into the electrical meter to steal power from Southern California Edison, Batres said.
Moy was a renter at the home, which the owner apparently did not know was being used for pot cultivation, officials said.
He is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday.
The arrest came a day after two men were arrested on suspicion of cultivating pot in Malibu Creek State Park, where rangers seized 900 plants and 3,000 seeds.
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