A phoned-in tip to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office last week led officers to a bizarre scene in Magnolia that resulted in the seizure of more than 100 marijuana plants.

On Sept. 23 the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office District 4 patrol received a welfare call concerning a person the caller believed was in danger of being kidnapped or assaulted.

When officers arrived at a residence in the 24000 block of Spencer Boulevard in Magnolia, they discovered a female, naked in the backyard yelling incoherently. Lt. Phillip Cash said that scattered around the woman in the backyard were “several” firearms, including automatic assault rifles and shotguns.

Once inside the home, sheriff’s deputies detected a strong odor of marijuana and discovered more firearms. No one else was found on the premises.

Cash said it was unclear if the woman her condition was mental or drug related. She was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. Her condition was not known at press time last week. Cash said that when officers found her, they were “under the impression that someone was trying to hurt her.”

Deputies notified the county’s Special Investigations Unit, which obtained a search warrant. During their search, investigators recovered approximately 125 hydroponic marijuana plants. According to the Sheriff’s Office, two rooms inside the home were set up as growing sites for the plants.

According to Cash, hydroponic marijuana is grown indoors, rather than outdoors like more common forms of the drug and has a higher THC level.

Cash called the process “a really sophisticated way of growing.” The Sheriff’s Office estimated the street value at $5,500 per pound, with each plant producing up to one pound of marijuana.

Cash also explained that each plant is capable of producing “two to three grows” per year. Based on the potential maximum production from each plant and the estimated street value, officers recovered more than $2 million worth of marijuana.  Cash said the growing operation had been in effect for at least a few months.

While no arrests have been made in the incident, the case file has been turned over the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office for review and possible prosecution. No charges have been filed and the woman at the scene as been identified by Cash as “a person of interest.”

He added that the case would likely carry felony charges and a grand jury would decide on a possible indictment.

Comments (2)

Subscribe to this comment's feed