Illegal cannabis grow robbed near Forbestown

Suspects remain on the loose, unidentified

A group of armed intruders wearing dark clothes and masks forced their way early Monday morning into a home near Forbestown where an illegal cannabis grow was located, according to a press release from the Yuba County Sheriff’s Department.

Just before 4 a.m., the department received a 911 call from one of the two men who were at the house at the time of the robbery. The Spanish-only speaking men told investigators they were hired as security for the grow site located in the 18000 block of New York Flat Road near the Yuba-butte County border.

The two men were asleep inside the house when five to six suspects broke in. They were described as being Spanish speaking. The victims said the robbers were armed with “long guns, like rifles,” according to Yuba County Sheriff’s Department Crime Analyst Leslie Carbah. No weapons were found at the scene.

One of the victims fled the house through a window and ran through the foothills forest until reaching a home on the Butte County side of Forbestown, according to the release, where he called 911. The other security guard was assaulted by the suspects, duct taped and tied up while the intruders cut down and removed the cannabis plants.

Carbah said the suspects left the scene in a vehicle described as a cargo or U-haul type van. The exact make and model of the vehicle is not known at this time. According to the release, investigators believe the suspects had inside knowledge about the grow because it was well hidden and not visible outside of the property.

The identities and whereabouts of the suspects are not known.

No charges were filed against the victims for their association with the illegal cannabis grow or the owners of the property where the grow was located. The investigation remains ongoing.

Carbah encouraged anyone with information to contact the department’s investigations unit.at 749-7777.