Yong Shi was booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center and charged with illegal marijuana cultivation, utility theft, and maintaining a drug house. Riverside County Sheriff’s Department photo.On October 9, deputies served a search warrant in the 45000 block of Starina Street within the City of Lake Elsinore, in the area known as Rosetta Canyon, and found the entire residence transformed using common building materials into a marijuana cultivation site, according to Sergeant Glenn Warrington.
Approximately 700 marijuana plants in various stages of growth were located during the search warrant. The electrical system within the residence had been illegally altered, causing a severe fire hazard.
“Southern California Edison Company responded to the residence and determined electricity was stolen with an estimated amount in the thousands,” said Warrington. “Southern California Edison turned the power off due to the illegal wiring throughout the residence. Lake Elsinore Code and Building and Safety responded to the location and deemed the residence unsafe to occupy. The residence was red-tagged.”
Yong Shi, a 55-year-old resident of Lake Elsinore, was located in the residence and booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center. Shi was charged with illegal marijuana cultivation, utility theft, and maintaining a drug house, jail records show.
This is an ongoing investigation. Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Deputy Meissen at the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station at 951-245-3300.
