Indoor pot farm found

Jeff Brady reports

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DeSOTO — Police investigating a report of a burglary in a south DeSoto neighborhood Thursday morning found something entirely unexpected next door: a marijuana farm.

When police arrived to investigate the report in the 500 block of Warbler Drive, officers noticed a backyard fence door was open and someone inside the adjoining residence.

When they entered the foreclosed home, they found 30 to 40 small marijuana plants — each 3 to 4 feet tall — growing inside two elaborate hydroponic systems with lights and plastic containers.

Police said they also found eight larger plants, some of which had already been harvested, with the illegal substance wrapped in plastic bags for distribution.

The man inside was arrested on outstanding warrants. A search warrant was issued for investigators to make a more detailed inventory of what was growing there.

A Drug Enforcement Agency spokesperson told News 8 it is uncommon and very risky behavior for criminals to operate inside a foreclosed home due to uncertainties about who has access to the property and when they might return.

E-mail jbrady@wfaa.com