MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – A large marijuana grow with more than 16,000 plants was located in the Jerusalem Valley area of Middletown during a routine overflight mission and subsequently eradicated.

Lt. Steve Brooks said the grow was first spotted last Thursday, June 12, when members of the Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force were conducting an overflight mission in the Jerusalem Valley area of Middletown. The purpose of the overflights is to seek out probable illicit marijuana growing operations.

As detectives were working the Jerusalem Valley area, they located a large scale marijuana growing operation. Brooks said the marijuana plants were being concealed within a large cornfield, located in the 20000 block of Jerusalem Grade Road.

On Friday, June 13, at approximately 4 p.m., detectives arrived at the property and accessed the grow site through a dirt easement road, Brooks said.

Brooks said detectives located an outbuilding that was hidden under some trees on the northwest portion of the parcel. While conducting a protective sweep, they discovered the structure was being utilized as a large marijuana cloning operation.

Detectives located and eradicated 3,740 marijuana plants from inside the structure. They also located a loaded .22 caliber rifle and a 12 gauge shotgun leaning against the wall, which were both seized as evidence, Brooks said.

Brooks said detectives entered the cornfield and observed a complex drip irrigation system and a large number of marijuana plants growing under the corn. The detectives located and eradicated a total of 12,969 marijuana plants from the cornfield. Narcotics detectives searched the area but were unable to locate any suspects or additional evidence.

Detectives eradicated a total of 16,709 marijuana plants from the property, Brooks said.

The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be reached through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.