burblestein
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At 7:48 AM on 17 June 2013, the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office received a phone call relaying a report of a homicide on Spy Rock Road in Laytonville. The anonymous caller said they had learned of the killing via a relative of the victim.
LE responded in force. A mixed party of Sheriff's deputies, California Highway patrol officers, and California Fish and Wildlife agents arrived at the crime scene at 11:15 AM. They found a young Hispanic male, shot to death by a single wound to his body. He had been caretaking, and camping in, an illegal commercial marijuana plantation of about 300 plants. The caretaker had been killed mid-harvest, as the plants had been cut but not processed. The fact the cut plants had not been removed made LE wonder if the homicide's motive was something other than robbery.
The deceased was identified as 23 year old Hugo Olea-Lopez, of Upper Lake, Lake County CA. He was presiding over an early harvest brought on by sophisticated light-deprivation techniques of raising marijuana; Emerald Triangle growers have been able to start raising two crops per year using the procedure.
The Spy Rock Road vicinity is so hostile to LE that MCSO decided it was too risky to canvass for witnesses as is usually done. Instead, the Mendocino Major Crimes Task Force equipped itself with three search warrants and raided Spy Rock Road on 29 August 2016. It eradicated illegal pot growing in the neighborhood, as well as investigating Hugo's homicide.
Sources:
The Anderson Valley (CA) Advertiser, 18 June 2013: http://theava.com/archives/22443
The Anderson Valley (CA) Advertiser, 19 June 2013: http://theava.com/archives/22450
The Anderson Valley (CA) Advertiser, 20 June 2013: http://theava.com/archives/22520
The Santa Rosa (CA) Press Democrat, 20 June 2013: http://wwwpressdemocrat.com/csp/med...at/News/story.csp?cid=2229918&sid=555&fid=181
Lakeconews, 20 June 2013: http://www.lakeconews.com/index.php...as-laytonville-homicide-victim&Itemid=197
The Anderson Valley (CA) Advertiser, 21 June 2013: http://theava.com/archives/22527
The Anderson Valley (CA) Advertiser, 8 September 2013: http://theava.com/archives/22731
The Willits (CA) News, 21 June 2013:
http://www.willitsnews.com/article/ZZ/20130621/NEWS/130626589&template=printart
The Redwood Times, 25 June 2013: http://www.redwoodtimes.com/article/ZZ/20130625/NEWS/130626702&template=printart
Ukiah (CA) Daily Journal, 1 September 2013: http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ge...a-one-truckload-at-a-time/1&template=printart
Ukiah (CA) Daily Journal, 5 September 2013: http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ge...ts-seized-in-recent-raids/1&template=printart
Fort Bragg (CA) Advocate News, 6 September 2013: http://www.advocatenews.com/article/ZZ/20130906/NEWS/130909022/1&template=printart
Information concerning this case may be called in to the MCSO Tipline at 707-234-2100. Their Investigative Services Bureau may be emailed at [email protected]. The Sheriff's Office can also be reached at 951 Low Gap Road, Ukiah, CA 95482.
LE responded in force. A mixed party of Sheriff's deputies, California Highway patrol officers, and California Fish and Wildlife agents arrived at the crime scene at 11:15 AM. They found a young Hispanic male, shot to death by a single wound to his body. He had been caretaking, and camping in, an illegal commercial marijuana plantation of about 300 plants. The caretaker had been killed mid-harvest, as the plants had been cut but not processed. The fact the cut plants had not been removed made LE wonder if the homicide's motive was something other than robbery.
The deceased was identified as 23 year old Hugo Olea-Lopez, of Upper Lake, Lake County CA. He was presiding over an early harvest brought on by sophisticated light-deprivation techniques of raising marijuana; Emerald Triangle growers have been able to start raising two crops per year using the procedure.
The Spy Rock Road vicinity is so hostile to LE that MCSO decided it was too risky to canvass for witnesses as is usually done. Instead, the Mendocino Major Crimes Task Force equipped itself with three search warrants and raided Spy Rock Road on 29 August 2016. It eradicated illegal pot growing in the neighborhood, as well as investigating Hugo's homicide.
Sources:
The Anderson Valley (CA) Advertiser, 18 June 2013: http://theava.com/archives/22443
The Anderson Valley (CA) Advertiser, 19 June 2013: http://theava.com/archives/22450
The Anderson Valley (CA) Advertiser, 20 June 2013: http://theava.com/archives/22520
The Santa Rosa (CA) Press Democrat, 20 June 2013: http://wwwpressdemocrat.com/csp/med...at/News/story.csp?cid=2229918&sid=555&fid=181
Lakeconews, 20 June 2013: http://www.lakeconews.com/index.php...as-laytonville-homicide-victim&Itemid=197
The Anderson Valley (CA) Advertiser, 21 June 2013: http://theava.com/archives/22527
The Anderson Valley (CA) Advertiser, 8 September 2013: http://theava.com/archives/22731
The Willits (CA) News, 21 June 2013:
http://www.willitsnews.com/article/ZZ/20130621/NEWS/130626589&template=printart
The Redwood Times, 25 June 2013: http://www.redwoodtimes.com/article/ZZ/20130625/NEWS/130626702&template=printart
Ukiah (CA) Daily Journal, 1 September 2013: http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ge...a-one-truckload-at-a-time/1&template=printart
Ukiah (CA) Daily Journal, 5 September 2013: http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ge...ts-seized-in-recent-raids/1&template=printart
Fort Bragg (CA) Advocate News, 6 September 2013: http://www.advocatenews.com/article/ZZ/20130906/NEWS/130909022/1&template=printart
Information concerning this case may be called in to the MCSO Tipline at 707-234-2100. Their Investigative Services Bureau may be emailed at [email protected]. The Sheriff's Office can also be reached at 951 Low Gap Road, Ukiah, CA 95482.
