BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — New details are emerging after two people were arrested last week when nearly 200 marijuana plants were seized from an East Bakersfield grow discovered during the execution of a search warrant.
Investigators arrested Isac Vera and Yessenia Mendoza on several weapons and drug charges, including possession of a machine gun.
According to court documents obtained by 23ABC News, detectives from the Southern Tri-County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force executed a search warrant on April 18 at two buildings in the 300 block of E. 19th Street.
The documents show investigators talked to a woman and a man found in those buildings. The man gave detectives a key to a fence dividing the buildings and that's where investigators say they found the marijuana grow.
Deputies involved in the investigation reported that the building complex was "heavily fortified" and the complex was outfitted with several security cameras.
Two other men were found in one of the buildings as well, and as those men came outside, deputies say they could smell the odor of marijuana coming from inside. According to the documents, the deputies also spotted water tanks inside.
They then found several rooms inside that were being used as marijuana grows.
The documents show that later, a man claiming to own one of the buildings arrived and said the two men who came out of the second building worked for him.
Additional documents show that Kern County Narcotics Detecitves also served a search warrant at a building in the 3500 block of Soranno Avenue and found more than 100 pounds of processed marijuana plants on the property. The documents also show more than $40,000 in cash was found at the building along with drug paraphernalia, live ammunition and a fully-automatic firearm.
Vera and Mendoza have already pleaded not guilty to the charges and are expected back in court on May 2.
Vera is facing 15 felony charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm, as well as possession of a machine gun. He's also charged with misdemeanor drug charges.
Mendoza is charged with having a machine gun as well as drug charges.
