On Tuesday, July 21, Oakdale Police Detectives seized over 100 marijuana plants and a number of assault weapons after conducting a surveillance of a building on S. Sierra Avenue.
Detective Sergeant Joe Johnson said police received information regarding a possible marijuana grow operation at a former auto body repair and paint shop located at 593 S. Sierra Ave.
Johnson said he observed a subject , later identified as Jeremy Rodriguez, 32, of Oakdale, at 8 a.m. that morning drive up to the location. When contacting Rodriguez, Johnson learned that Rodriguez’s driver’s license was suspended and proceeded to issue him a citation and prepare to tow the 1993 Infiniti he was driving.
During the car inventory, Johnson said police discovered seven large capacity magazines for an AK-47, some of which were loaded with jacketed hollow point ammunition, and a partially loaded 9 mm pistol magazine. Also in the vehicle were empty M-16/AR-15 magazines.
Rodriguez was detained at the scene while detectives obtained a search warrant for the premises to search for associated firearms.
Johnson said that after the search warrant was obtained, police searched the building and found located an AK-47 assault rifle and two other assault style rifles. Johnson described the other assault rifles as “California legal” AR-15s.
During the search, officers discovered a sophisticated marijuana growing operation with 100 plants inside one of the out-buildings on the property. A second search warrant was obtained investigators in order to seize the marijuana plants and police notified agents from the Stanislaus County Drug Enforcement Unit.
Johnson said there was no evidence of the marijuana farming being associated with a compassionate care marijuana growing operation.
“In this case Mr. Rodriguez was given ample opportunity to provide documentation on this being a Prop 215 grow but he failed to do so and even denied the grow existed,” Johnson said.
While processing the scene, police also found various packaging materials, dried marijuana and a scale were on the property.
Rodriguez was booked for possession of an assault weapon, being armed in the commission of a felony, cultivation of marijuana and possession of large capacity assault rifle magazines. He was booked at Stanislaus County Jail and later posted $55,000 bail.
“I hope this sends a message to anyone else considering this type of enterprise that we won’t tolerate in Oakdale,” Johnson said. “Fortunately we were able to get some very dangerous guns off the street and shut down an illegal grow operation without anyone getting hurt in the process.”
Johnson added that city building inspectors would be looking into the rigged water and power use and other noticeable building code violations.
Anyone with information regarding this case should contact Det. Sgt. Joe Johnson at (209) 847-2231
