An East District Community Policing Deputy garnered information from an arrestee that marijuana was being produced or sold out of 1317 Prospect Avenue in Lehigh. Narcotics Detectives along with the East District Selective Enforcement Team conducted surveillance on the address and noticed a strong odor of raw marijuana emanating from the residence. A female identified as Rita L. Cabrera WF 10-21-80, was stopped while leaving the residence and subsequently arrested for Possession of Marijuana over 20 grams. Cabrera additionally told detectives that there was a male inside the residence.
After numerous attempts to make contact with the male with negative results, a search warrant was prepared by Narcotic Detective’s and executed by the Narcotics Unit, East District SET and the Field Support Unit. A search of the residence revealed an elaborate marijuana cultivation operation with a total of 126 plants weighing 87.2 pounds inside of two rooms. An additional 5 pounds of loose marijuana was located throughout the house.
A Hispanic male, Baldemar Ojeda Hernandez H/M 08-13-84 had taken flight into the attic crawl space in the garage in an effort to elude arrest. Deputies located Hernandez hiding in the attic and had to physically extract him after numerous commands to surrender were ignored. Hernandez had in his possession a backpack containing $8440.00, personal paperwork including a passport and provisions to help him “wait out” the deputies presence at the residence in order to elude arrest.
The $8440.00 was seized and is pending civil forfeiture hearings. Hernandez was arrested for Cultivation of Marijuana, Possession of Marijuana over 20 grams, Renting a Structure to Traffic Drugs and Resisting without Violence.