PASADENA—
Pasadena police confiscate nearly five tons of marijuana in one house. What makes this discovery so amazing is that authorities were actually following leads to another investigation when they found the mother-load.The assistant police chief is calling it a "new illegal enterprise" he's never seen before. Stolen stainless steel marine vessel hatches led police to the major pot operation.
Stacked high, the stainless steel hatches are part of a theft investigation that led police to so much more. Police said they were stolen from a Galveston company called West Gulf Marine.
Pasadena police started an investigation after an off-duty officer saw the big pieces of steel at the Rivera Recycling scrap metal outlet located in the 1700 block of Preston.
At the same time, Galveston police were already on the case and scoping out the area looking for the thieves.
"Three suspects showed up in a white van when they spotted the Galveston officer (at the scrap metal outlet); two of them fled and one stayed behind," said Bud Corbett, Pasadena Assistant Police Chief.
Jesus Emilio Suarez-Fernandez was caught. In his pocket police found an address, which led them to a home at the 5900 block of Ollia Circle. In the backyard, they found more hatches and inside they discovered dozens of marijuana plants.
"They were growing in large pots and they had an irrigation system, special lighting, and reflective material," said Assistant Chief Corbett. "(They're) trying to make the environment (for the plants as) best as possible for them to flourish and grow."
A sophisticated pot growing operation right in the middle of a Pasadena neighborhood, residents didn't have a clue.
Two investigations now underway with more arrests expected.
