Police seize 2,000 marijuana plants from 4 San Leandro homes; 5 arrested

SAN LEANDRO (KTVU)— Police have arrested five adults after recovering more than 2,000 illegally-grown marijuana plants from four San Leandro homes.

The arrests were made Wednesday and concluded a three-month undercover investigation. In all, suspects from six different houses were linked to the investigation.

Search warrants were obtained and more than 30 officers and detectives raided the locations in neighborhoods that included; Broadmoor, Bay-O-Vista, and Washington Manor.

One man fled from police and hid in a crawl space but was eventually apprehended by a canine unit. He along with four other suspects was arrested for suspicion of illegally cultivating marijuana and possessing it for sale.

The search at one of the houses yielded $40,000 in cash. Authorities estimated the plants could have produced up to $1.6 million annually for the suspects.

“Detectives are working to determine whether or not this is connected to a larger operation in the area.  As they continue investigating, they have been in contact with other Bay Area law enforcement agencies,” said Lt. Robert McManus.  “The unique thing about this is that the homes didn’t stand out – they looked like any house in a quiet neighborhood,” he said.