Long Beach raid turns up pot, drug labs, exotic animals at house

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- In a bizarre raid, police discovered drug labs and exotic animals inside a Long Beach home.

The raid happened around 10:30 p.m. Thursday at a home on the 1900 block of Caspian Avenue. A search warrant was served after officers noticed marijuana growing in the backyard.

Police discovered 22 marijuana plants and a lab for growing mushrooms. Investigators said it was a very sophisticated operation.

"We had several different rooms that had clandestine labs for hallucinogens, mushrooms, peyote, things of that nature, and a separate lab with the cultivation of the marijuana," said Sgt. Timothy Long of the Long Beach Police Department. "So we had a total of about three separate labs inside the house."

Neighbors said they did not have a clue as to what was going in the home.

"It was a very, very quiet, quiet place," said one neighbor. "Never saw anything unusual at all. No type of activity or anything."

Three men were arrested in connection with the drugs. Officials also confiscated several snakes, tarantulas and a scorpion. Five minutes after authorities wrapped up their investigation, a fire broke out at the home.

Firefighters were able to save the structure. It just had some scorch marks along the edges. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Just when it looked like things were calming down, a suspected gang member decided to spray graffiti on the home. Eyewitness News captured it all on tape. The teen tagging the home was arrested a short time later.

It was unknown if the men who were arrested had any gang ties.

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marijuana, marijuana growing, arrest, fire, animal news, los angeles news, john gregory

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