Bust finds 1,050 pot plants

Deepa Bharath

A Huntington Beach man was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of growing

more than 1,000 “high-grade” marijuana plants in an office suite,

officials said.

Police arrested Paul Harrington, 42, on suspicion of cultivating

marijuana for sale after they searched the office of Starving College

Students Moving Co. at 7:30 p.m. in the 2000 block of Placentia

Avenue, Costa Mesa Police Lt. John FitzPatrick said.

“They found 1,050 plants, as well as one pound of marijuana and a

handgun in the office,” he said.

The drugs were valued at $450,000, FitzPatrick said. Detectives

were tipped off that Harrington “was involved in the sale of

high-grade marijuana,” he added.

“High grade is also known as chronic marijuana -- a variety, which

contains a high concentration of THC, the active ingredient in

marijuana that gets you high,” FitzPatrick said.

Investigators found the plants growing in special pods in what was

an “extensive operation,” FitzPatrick said. Harrington was also

stealing electricity to power irrigation equipment for his pot

garden, FitzPatrick said.

A simultaneous investigation by Southern California Edison found

that the electric service in the building had been altered,

FitzPatrick said.

Neighbor Tony Pena Jr., 28, said he had no idea that someone had

been arrested on his street on Tuesday.

“It doesn’t surprise me, though,” he said. “Placentia Avenue,

especially south Placentia near 19th Street, is known for drug

activity. There are all kinds of people out there at night.”

The streets have gotten a lot worse over the years, said Pena, who

grew up in the neighborhood and graduated from Estancia High School.

“When I was a kid, we used to be able to play outside and have

lemonade stands,” he said. “But now, it’s all changed. I wouldn’t be

comfortable letting my kids play outside.”

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at deepa.bharath@latimes.com.