Ukiah fire captain, 2 others face pot charges

A veteran Ukiah fire captain was arrested for marijuana cultivation at her home in Ukiah's west hills, an indication of how deeply rooted the marijuana industry is in Mendocino County.

Deputy Fire Marshal Teri Israel, a 13-year employee with the Ukiah Fire Department, and two other people at her home were arrested for marijuana cultivation Friday afternoon, said sheriff's Lt. Rusty Noe.

Law enforcement officials confiscated 648 plants of varying sizes from inside Israel's Canyon Court home when they went there to serve a probation violation arrest warrant for her daughter, who was not there, Noe said.

Noe said he's not surprised when established members of the community are involved in marijuana production. Israel's is the third marijuana case involving well-known Ukiah-area residents since November.

"It's ingrained," Noe said.

About half of the plants seized at Israel's home were seedlings. The rest were about a foot tall, said Cmdr. Bob Nishiyama of the Mendocino Major Crimes Task Force. About a pound of processed marijuana also was found, he said.

Israel could not be reached Tuesday for comment.

Ukiah Fire Chief Tony Clarabut said he can confirm only that an employee of the department is on administrative leave pending an internal investigation.

Israel was not booked into the county jail. She was released on a citation for marijuana cultivation, Nishiyama said. Citations are commonly issued in connection with pot cultivation, largely because of the confusion surrounding medical marijuana laws, he said.

The citations are forwarded to the District Attorney's Office, where a decision is made whether or not to file charges.

The District Attorney's Office had not received the citations as of Tuesday, District Attorney Meredith Lintott said.

In addition to Israel, her son, Eric Weston, and another man, Victor Villalobos, were arrested. They received February court dates.

Villalobos claimed he had a medical marijuana card and that the plants were being grown for him, Nishiyama said.

Israel's is the latest in a string of high-profile marijuana cases in Mendocino County.

Laura Hamburg, a Ukiah activist and daughter of former Rep. Dan Hamburg, is facing felony marijuana cultivation and distribution charges following an October raid on her rural home, where an estimated 50 pounds of processed pot and about $10,000 in cash were allegedly found.

Hamburg reportedly has claimed the marijuana was being grown for medicinal use. A preliminary hearing on her charges is scheduled Thursday.

In November, sheriff's deputies seized 39 pounds of dried pot from the Redwood Valley home of Sherylin Young, the budget and finance officer for the Mendocino County District Attorney's Office.

Because of her connection with the District Attorney's Office, the case was sent to the state Attorney General's Office for review, Lintott said.

Young remains on administrative leave while the case is pending, she said.

You can reach Staff Writer Glenda Anderson at 462-6473 or glenda.anderson@pressdemocrat.com.