Murrieta Police: Leak Report Leads Officers To Nearly 1,000 Marijuana Plants

MURRIETA (CBSLA.com) — A broken water pipe helped lead authorities to an indoor marijuana grow operation where nearly 1,000 plants were found, according to Murrieta police.

Code enforcement officers had been dispatched Thursday to a home in the 40300 block of Hannah Way in response to a leak that was soaking nearby properties, according to Murrieta police Sgt. Dave Baca.

In addition to finding a broken plastic pipe connected into the sidewall of the house, the code officers smelled marijuana and contacted police, Baca said. When police arrived, two residents of the home jumped a wooden fence and fled, but were later caught.

Zi Ye Wu, 38, and Wei Ming Li, 30, were arrested after officers obtained a search warrant and found 950 marijuana plants as well as 13 pounds of processed "buds" and $1,400, according to Baca.

Jail records show both Wu and Li posted $50,000 bail on Friday and were released.