Sheriff's Deputies Close Riverview Marijuana Grow House

Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies have closed down a marijuana grow house in Riverview and arrested the owner.

On May 1 at approximately 1:30 a.m., HCSO responded to a 911 call
regarding a burglary in progress at 11125 Church Drive in Riverview. Once on
scene, deputies could see someone had kicked open the front door of the
residence.

Deputies entered the residence to look for suspects and determined the
suspects had already fled the scene. While inside the home, deputies observed
a bedroom had been completely converted into an elaborate marijuana grow
operation.

District 4 Street Crime deputies obtained and executed a court-authorized
search warrant resulting in the seizure of 100 marijuana plants, totaling 204
pounds, approximately $35,200 worth of cultivation equipment and a
.40-caliber semi-automatic handgun.

TECO responded and found that the electric meter at the residence was
connected via an unauthorized wire bypass. TECO estimated the theft of
electricity was valued in excess of $20,000.

Later that morning the homeowner, Elier Perez, 36, was detained on a
traffic stop a short distance from his house and arrested after he was found
in possession of a small amount of marijuana.

He was transported back to his residence and was charged with armed
trafficking of marijuana, cultivation/manufacture of marijuana, and grand
theft of electricity.