Water Theft leads to Marijuana grow

      On July 10, 2014 the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office was dispatched to the Copperopolis area for a report of an unknown subject stealing water.


   An initial investigation indicated that the water theft was linked to a nearby marijuana growing operation.

   The Calaveras County Sheriff's Office and the CHP conducted a joint operation to eradicate the illegal marijuana grow.

   During the operation the team located a male subject who fled from the grow site, later identified as
Edgar Lopez.

   He was later located in some brush and subsequently arrested.  The Sheriff's Office and CHP eradicated and destroyed over 3700 marijuana plants.

   Mr. Lopez, it was estimated that each plant would produce a street value of over $1000. He was booked on charges of illegal cultivation of marijuana with a bail of $20,000, per the Sheriff.