Armed burglars likely after marijuana

Two armed men broke into a Klamath home early Thursday morning in what is thought to be an attempt to rob a medical marijuana garden.

Both suspects are still at-large and the Del Norte County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident.

"We presume the purpose was to come in and steal medical marijuana plants that belonged to the victim," Detective Sgt. Steve Morris said. "It appears that they took what they could carry, three or four plants, and took off."

Morris said the two men, one carrying a handgun and the other with "some sort of stick" broke into 37-year-old Kyle Layton's home on Redwood Street around 5 a.m.

Layton was at home with three other people, Renee Griffith, 26, and two adolescents when the suspects entered the home, Morris said. The burglars came through the backyard, and when Layton went to check on the noises, the two men barged into his home and one of the men pointed a gun at him and told him to get on the ground.

"As he turned and was walking away he was struck on the head, presumably by the firearm," Morris said.

The blow did not knock out Layton, and he tried to run out of the house, Morris said. The two suspects continued to hit Layton as he escaped into his backyard, jumped over the fence and went to a neighbor's house to call law enforcement.

The burglars are suspected of taking some of Layton's medical marijuana plants before he saw them running from his house, Morris said. When deputies arrived, he said an ambulance was called to take Layton to Sutter Coast Hospital to receive treatment for his injuries.

Both Layton and Griffith are medical marijuana patients, Morris said, and law enforcement estimated they had 50-100 plants in their home.

The Sheriff's Office does not have any suspects. The two men were described as Hispanic or American Indian males, both weighing 150 to 160 pounds. One was about 5 feet 6 inches tall and the other 5 feet 10 inches. Both were wearing dark-colored clothing.

In the past year, there have been about six incidents in which medical marijuana gardens have been robbed in Del Norte County, Morris said.

"It's becoming more and more common," he said. "This is the first one that I know of that was associated with violence."

Other counties in Northern California have experienced similar situations, Morris added, saying that it's a risk that anyone who grows medical marijuana faces.

"The home invasion robberies and burglaries are a by-product of growing medical marijuana," Morris said. "(Patients) are being victimized and that that's because the price of marijuana is not going down. It's staying very high."
Triplicate.com

I hope they catch these two peices of trash!:mad:

"Other counties in Northern California have experienced similar situations, Morris added, saying that it's a risk that anyone who grows medical marijuana faces."

I would advise anyone from this area that grows to install a security system with VERY loud sirens!:thumbsup:

Have a good one!:jointsmile: