Unlikely marijuana grow house found in California raid

Custom-built house, wraparound porch, great views, perfect for … a grow house.

A marijuana raid in Merced County allegedly found an extensive growing operation in an unlikely-looking home.

Three buyers, from San Francisco and San Leandro, paid $590,000 cash for the house in April, the Merced County Sheriff’s Department said on Wednesday.

The real estate listing touted the extensive storage space, including two three-car garages, and the privacy afforded by the 1.6-acre lot and “tree line in front of the house.” The mailing address is in Winton, but the home is in the Merced River community of Cressey, 10 miles from Turlock.

Images taken by the sheriff’s investigators show the inside largely gutted and filled with hundreds of marijuana plants, lights and ventilation equipment.

The house was one of seven Merced County sites where search warrants were served on June 20-21. The team destroyed 7,532 marijuana plants and 500 pounds of harvested product. Six people were cited “for various violations,” including electrical and chemical hazards, the sheriff’s department said.

The county allows six marijuana plants per household, with no outdoor cultivation permitted.