Two Illegal Pot Grows In Small Colorado Town Believed To Be Linked, Man From Miami Arrested
AVONDALE, Colo. (CBS4) - Ricardo Leal-Ruiz, a man from Florida, is behind bars in Pueblo County and linked to at least one illegal marijuana grow in the small town of Avondale. Investigators from the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office went to a home at 202 Jane Street Wednesday after receiving a tip about an illegal grow.
The resident, Leal-Ruiz, 54, let the detectives inside. They found two empty grow rooms and noted extensive changes to the home's electrical system.
They also saw a U-Haul truck on the property which they believed held marijuana plants. When they searched it, they say they found 37 plants. You can only grow 30 plants legally in Colorado. That's when police arrested Leal-Ruiz, who is from Miami.
An illegal grow operation was found 315 Jane Street on May 1 and police believe it is related to the grow at 202 Jane Street.
Detectives found illegal marijuana grows in both of those homes in August 2016 and determined they were linked. Both homes were later sold. The house at 202 Jane Street is now condemned because of the alterations made to the heating and electrical systems.