Detectives seize 2,500 illegal marijuana plants, arrest 1 man during raid in Costa Mesa

Costa Mesa police detectives arrested one individual Friday on suspicion of illegal marijuana cultivation, after the execution of a search warrant of a building in the city’s “green zone” led to the discovery of more than 2,500 marijuana plants.

Roxi Fyad, spokeswoman for the Costa Mesa Police Department, confirmed Monday that Feng Bai, 59, of Walnut, was taken into custody Friday morning after a team from the department’s Special Investigations Unit raided a structure on the 3500 block of Cadillac Avenue.

Located in the northwest corner of the city — in a “green zone” that allows for legal manufacture, processing, distribution, testing and research and development of cannabis under Costa Mesa’s Measure X — that single block is home to several approved cannabis businesses.

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue initiated a HazMat response Friday outside an illegal marijuana grow on Cadillac Avenue. Huntington Beach and Orange County Health Care Agency assisted.

(Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue)

Although the city passed a law last year permitting licensed retail cannabis businesses, the cultivation of marijuana is still prohibited citywide.

Fyad said Monday she could not comment on aspects of the investigation but did confirm that detectives had obtained a search warrant and executed it Friday morning, locating an extensive indoor growing operation with an elaborate irrigation and ventilation system.

Due to the volatile nature of some of the chemicals used in the operation, members of Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue coordinated a HazMat response with teams from the Huntington Beach Fire Department and the Orange County Health Care Agency. Members assessed the area and rendered it safe for detectives to continue their investigation, CMFD officials said in a social media post Sunday.

A building on Costa Mesa’s Cadillac Avenue was investigated by a Special Investigations Unit, which executed a search warrant Friday.

(Costa Mesa Police Department)

Thousands of marijuana plants in various stages of growth were seized from the property, and Bai was taken into custody. Fire officials said Monday no injuries were reported during the investigation.

Fyad said because the grow activity was unpermitted, city officials and Southern California Edison were contacted. As a result, the location was determined to be unsafe and was red tagged.

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