Police Find Marijuana Crop During Burglary Chase

Police hunting for a burglar in Panorama City stumbled upon $500,000 worth of marijuana, the bulk of it in 6-foot-tall plants growing in the back yards of three neighboring houses and some in the process of being dried and packaged inside.

Two men were arrested, one on suspicion of burglary and one for alleged drug cultivation, and detectives are continuing to investigate the apparent narcotics business in the 14200 block of Lorne Street, police said.

In addition to 113 pounds of marijuana and an assortment of drug paraphernalia, 15 guns were seized, said Los Angeles Police Detective George (Mike) Sellah of the San Fernando Valley narcotics unit.

“They were set up for some serious stuff,” Sellah said.

The discovery was made Wednesday afternoon as Van Nuys patrol officers flushed a suspected prowler out of a home and then chased him through a back yard where they noticed several of the illegal plants growing, Sellah said.

After capturing Jason Richard Cannon, 22, of Panorama City, police checked the inside of the house where Cannon had hidden for possible accomplices and found “all sorts of signs of narcotics--large quantities of marijuana, scales, guns and growing lamps used for cultivation,” Sellah said.

More plants, guns, and paraphernalia were found in two neighboring houses, where police arrested Ruben Gonzales, 55, on suspicion of cultivation. Gonzales was taken to Van Nuys Jail but later released after he posted $50,000 bail, authorities said.

Sellah said narcotics detectives found three mature marijuana plants in the back yard of Gonzales’ home, but nothing connecting him to sale or distribution of the drug. The scales and packaging materials were seized in the other two houses, he said.

Sellah said police have yet to interview the occupants of the other two houses. One was out of town, and a lawyer for the other has contacted police, he said.

Meanwhile, Van Nuys Lt. Harvie Eubank said there was no evidence so far to connect Cannon to the narcotics business. He remained in custody, Eubank said.