Signal Hill police say they discovered hundreds of cannabis plants hidden inside a commercial building after an officer noticed the property’s security gate had been cut and a door had been pried open.
According to court documents outlining the events, an officer was on patrol in a commercial area near Sunnyside Cemetery at around 3 a.m. on May 20 when he noticed a parked car with its engine running and a towel covering its license plate.
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The car was empty but had a pair of bolt cutters in the back seat, and the officer soon noticed a hole had been cut through the bars of a security fence at 937 E. 27th Street. The front door to the business had also been pried open, according to the court documents.
The documents don’t mention police finding any burglars when they searched the business and an adjoining building with its door pried open at 935 E. 27th Street, but they did discover hundreds of cannabis plants.
Police returned later that day with a search warrant and seized 846 plants, according to the documents. Commercial cannabis cultivation is illegal in Signal Hill.
Police wrote that they also looked for documents like utility bills and lease agreements that could reveal who was responsible for the growing operation.
The department didn’t immediately respond to questions Wednesday about whether anyone has been arrested or charged since the search was conducted.