Chinese national arrested for illegal Palm Desert marijuana grow

A Chinese national was arrested Wednesday after authorities confiscated about 1,100 marijuana plants from a Palm Desert residence.

Around 12:15 p.m., authorities served a search warrant at a residence on the 100 block of Azzuro Drive. That’s near Country Club Drive, a block west of Ronald Reagan Elementary School.

The warrant was related to a suspected illegal indoor marijuana grow, said Riverside County Sheriff’s Sgt. Brad Farwell. Authorities also suspected the home’s residents were stealing utilities.

The search warrant resulted in the confiscation of the 1,100 marijuana plants, Farwell said. It also was discovered that the residents had stolen about $25,000 worth of electricity, according to Farwell.

The Palm Desert Code Enforcement, as well as Southern California Edison, responded to the location due to the illegal set up and existing hazards, Farwell said.

Authorities arrested Chen Long Yang, 19, a resident of China, who was located at the residence. Yang was booked into the Riverside County Jail on suspicion of illegal marijuana cultivation and theft of utilities, according to Farwell.