Suspect Arrested in Marijuana Growing Operation
EL DORADO COUNTY- A two week investigation has resulted in the arrest of a man in connection with a a marijuana growing operation on United States Forest Service (USFS) public lands north of Stumpy Meadows Lake and east of Georgetown, according to an official El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office press release.
Omar Ruiz Talauera, 21
Omar Ruiz Talauera, 21, was taken into custody and booked into El Dorado county jail on Friday, June 21, 2013, on charge of resisting an officer, cultivation of marijuana and possession for sale of marijuana. Talauera was born in Michoacan, Mexico, and is currently a transient.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, on the morning of Friday, June 24, 2013, the Sheriff’s West El Dorado Narcotics Enforcement Team (WENET), along with the Mountain and Valley Marijuana Investigations Team (MAVMIT), entered the marijuana growing operation and a man dressed in camouflage ran from the garden, attempting to evade officers. Deputies reportedly received minor injuries during their attempt to catch the man, but successfully apprehended him. A handgun was reportedly found in a nearby makeshift camp, but no shots were fired.
Crime Scene; El Dorado CSO
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Talauera’s marijuana growing operation has caused extensive resource damage to the area it is in, with thousands of square feet of timber cut down to make room for it. Stumps of cut down trees were painted green, reportedly to avoid detection by law enforcement aircraft. Additionally, several empty bags of fertilizer and trash were found in and around the garden.
Read more:
My News 4: Marijuana grower arrested in El Dorado County
Sacramento Bee: Man arrested in raid on marijuana garden near Georgetown
KCRA 3: Officers: Trees clear cut to make way for illegal pot grow
