(December 22, 2002) -- LBPD patrol officers, SWAT team and narcotics detectives have seized roughly 400 pounds of marijuana, a .45 caliber pistol, money, weighing and packaging materials, a car...and made five arrests in the area of east Ellis Ave. in NLB in the 8th Council district (between Market St. and South St. just east of LB Blvd.)
In a written release, LBPD says that on December 22 at about 6:00 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 100 block of Ellis Ave. regarding a stolen vehicle abandoned in an alley. Their investigation showed the vehicle had been taken in a carjacking and officers were led to a house at 21 E. Ellis Ave to look for the carjacking suspects.
During a search of the residence, officers discovered a trap door in the floor that led to an underground storage area where eight large bundles of marijuana were hidden, police said.
Officers used LBPD's SWAT team to search and secure the residence...and narcotics detectives then took over. After obtaining a search warrant, they recovered the 400 pounds of marijuana and other items (above) from inside the residence.
Detectives arrested five LB residents (aged 28, 25, 18 and 19, and a juvenile suspect), now charged with carjacking as well as possession of marijuana for sale.
Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call Narcotics Detective Greg Roberts at (562) 570-7221.