Two marijuana-related crimes have struck San Luis Obispo County in the past three weeks, contributing to an increase in what authorities are calling “home invasion” robberies — robberies that occur at a residence using force or violence, usually by gunpoint.
Both Rob Bryn, a spokesperson for the San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Department, and Eric Vitale, a detective for the San Luis Obispo Police Department, confirmed that violence spurred by marijuana conflicts is on the rise in San Luis Obispo County.
During the past six months, San Luis Obispo police have investigated an estimated 10 home invasion cases related to marijuana. In prior years, there were only one to two cases annually, Vitale said.
As a result of the the most recent incident, one man is dead and another injured after a shooting in Los Osos Saturday, sheriff’s department officials said. Bryn confirmed the shooting was a result of a marijuana-related dispute.
Because the Los Osos shooting is still under investigation, the sheriff’s department has declined to release any details about the people involved, except the name of the man who was killed, 20-year-old Kelsea Grant Alvarez.
The shooting took place inside a house at 11911 12th Street. At this point, it’s unclear who was the suspect and who was the victim, Bryn said. Results from Alvarez’s autopsy will reveal whether different caliber bullets were shot, which might give insight into what took place during the shoot-out.
In a separate incident that hits closer to home for Cal Poly students, police arrested four suspects July 15 in connection with a marijuana-related robbery at gunpoint that occurred at Mustang Village apartments.
One victim — 18-year-old Ron Silva, who was the tenant of the allegedly robbed apartment — said he had a medicinal marijuana card.
He and the other occupant — an unidentified 15-year-old— answered the door June 30 around 9:30 p.m. and four men rushed in and wrapped them in duct tape, police said. One victim was allegedly struck in the face with a pistol.
The suspects then proceeded to steal the marijuana, cash and other items around the apartment. Police are still trying to recover the items, valued at approximately $1,500.
Deleon Robinson and Ryan Eaton, both 18 and from San Luis Obispo, and 19-year-old Ty Silacci of Paso Robles were arrested in connection with the incident. They were booked into the county jail with bail set $70,000.
An unidentified 16-year-old was also arrested in connection with the crime and booked at the Juvenile County Services Center.
Mustang Village management said they asked Silva to leave the property after they learned the crime involved possession of drugs. He moved out July 10.
“We are seeing an increase in these kinds of crimes, and at this agency we have a high success rate (in catching the suspects),” Vitale said.
When the cases do occur, Vitale said the San Luis Obispo Police Department puts “all its resources” into the investigations.
Bryn said that in addition to an increase in marijuana-related crimes, the encounters are becoming increasingly more violent.
The ambiguity over the legality of marijuana in California is a contributing factor. In San Luis Obispo County, a Medical Marijuana Identification Card (MMIC) program was established in May 2006. The MMIC allows patients and caregivers state authorization to possess, grow and transport medicinal marijuana in California. But on a federal level, marijuana — even in medicinal cases — is illegal.
“Everyone wants to hide behind medicinal marijuana, but really these are drug deals,” Bryn said.
He cited the fact that Morro Bay, located just 15 miles northwest of San Luis Obispo, formerly had a medicinal marijuana dispensary, and said that is why the area is so prone to violence related to the drug.
The dispensary, Central Coast Compassionate Caregivers, was sanctioned by state and local governments but was raided by federal agents in 2007. The dispensary owner, Charles Lynch, is awaiting prosecution.
“We’re still dealing with residual fallout,” Bryn said. “It gives the impression, wrongly, that marijuana is legal.”
Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) introduced Assembly Bill 390, which would legalize the cultivation and distribution of cannabis. A national organization called the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) is pushing for the passage of the bill.
“If marijuana was legal and regulated, violence would disappear,” said Bruce Mirken, the California representative for the MPP.
He compared the legalization of the drug to that of alcohol. During the prohibition period in the early 1900s, violence over alcohol was at an all-time high, but has since subsided.
“How often do you see crime reports of shoot outs between beer distributors and wine vendors?” Mirken said.
Vitale said marijuana-related home invasion robberies are more common than robberies related to other narcotics because marijuana dealers aren’t broke like cocaine or meth dealers, for example, making marijuana thefts more profitable.
“Marijuana dealers, we find, always have a large amount of cash, and bad guys know that too,” Vitale said.
Vitale said there has only been one marijuana-related case involving college students in San Luis Obispo, when suspects accidentally entered the wrong housing unit in January and robbed the occupants.
“In some of these cases, they’ve entered the wrong house and innocent (people) are hurt,” Vitale said. He urges students to lock their doors with a deadbolt and avoid answering the doors for strangers.
“If they enter, give what they’re asking for,” Vitale said. “Property is replaceable, your life and well-being are not.”