Estimated value of plants at nearly half a million dollars
Gilroy – Two Gilroy brothers were arrested while guarding a 300-plant marijuana farm near Whitehurst Road and Hecker Pass Highway – less than a mile from local residences, said Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Deputy Terrance Helm. The estimated value of the plants is $500,000.
Jose Chavez, 25, and Baltizar Chavez, 28, were both carrying .22-caliber firearms when they were arrested Monday without resistance by members of the Marijuana Detection and Eradication Team on suspicion of cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale, and possession of a firearm while committing a felony.
“This is considered a small grow, but the significance is they’re less than a mile from residences and they’re armed,” Helm explained. “They pose a real danger to the public … What’s the danger in someone walking their dog and coming across them?”
Carolyn Trevino has lived on Whitehurst Road since the late 1980s and was not surprised to learn of the bust.
“A couple of years ago we had one of the biggest busts in all of California,” she said recalling a larger raid years before. “They took out a lot of marijuana – so I’m not surprised.”
According to Trevino, most of the residents work during the day and the street is quiet except for loggers who use the road in the mornings.
Airplanes regularly fly overhead, causing her to wonder why someone would attempt to grow marijuana in the same area again.
According to Helm, members of the Marijuana Detection and Eradication Team discovered the farm.
“Our team found it and eradicated it,” he said.
The marijuana growing season runs from spring to late summer. According to Helm, the plants were fully mature and ready for harvest.
Usually, plants are grown in patches and spread across an area to decrease detection. The size of the farm was unknown as of press time.
The brothers are believed to have been living on the unincorporated land. Camping and cooking equipment were collected at the scene. Officers found chemical fertilizers and a diverted stream as well.
According to Helm, the marijuana farm carries environmental hazards such as polluted waterways.
An environmental clean up will occur in about a month after the growing season by the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office and the California Department of Fish and Game.
