Monterey County District Attorney Investigators Seize and Destroy 1,400 Pounds of Unlawful Processed Cannabis in Rural Salinas

SALINAS, California- Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on Thursday, June 29 that the District Attorney’s Office’s Bureau of Investigations, in cooperation with the California Department of Cannabis Control and local law enforcement, discovered an unlawful cannabis operation in rural Salinas. The operation was licensed and permitted; however, it was not reporting any cultivation activity to the state and county regulators. During a lawful inspection of the property, law enforcement learned that the operation was in fact cultivating, harvesting, and processing cannabis. The business was not reporting any of the cannabis activities in the California Cannabis Track and Trace system (CCTT), as required by law. In total, law enforcement found and destroyed over 1,400 pounds of unlawful cannabis. The investigation is ongoing. All cannabis activity in California is highly regulated. The CCTT system is designed to track and trace cannabis throughout all stages of cultivation, processing, and distribution to customers. It is designed to keep untested, untaxed, and unregulated cannabis from entering the legal market.

The licensed cannabis industry in Monterey County is currently experiencing economic hardship

caused in part by a substantial decrease in the market value of processed cannabis. One contributing

factor to this decrease is the supply of cannabis products that the illegal industry brings to the

market. Unlike legal cannabis, these illicit products are not tested for consumer safety, and they are

not taxed for public revenues. Additionally, illegal pesticides often used at unlawful cultivations are

extremely destructive to the environment.

The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office is committed to ensuring fair competition in the

licensed cannabis industry. Additionally, it is committed to protecting consumers and the

environment in Monterey County. The Monterey County Cannabis Enforcement Unit will continue

enforcement operations throughout the remainder of the year.

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King City Man Arrested on January 6 for Rape, Unlawful Sexual Intercourse with a Minor and Kidnapping

According to King City Police Department, on December 30, 2024 a 17-year-old minor female victim reported that she had attended a party on the 100 Block of Bedford Circle on December 24, 2024. During the party, the suspect provided her with alcohol. He then pulled the victim into a bedroom, forcibly removed her clothing and had sexual intercourse with her against her will. This case was investigated by the King City Police Department Investigations Unit which resulted in the apprehension and arrest on January 6, 2025 of the suspect identified as 21-year-old Jesus Oseguera Briseno of King City. Briseno was also booked into the Monterey County Jail charged with Rape, Unlawful Sexual Intercourse with a Minor and Kidnapping. Anyone with further information regarding this case is encouraged to contact the King City Police Department at (844) 844-3382; Sergeant Josh Partida (831) 385-4848 or jpartida@kingcity.com; or the WeTip line at 1-800-78-CRIME. Your call may remain completely ano...

Homicide of Inmate at Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad Under Investigation

APRIL 8, 2025 SOLEDAD, CA – California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) officials are investigating an alleged homicide of incarcerated person 36-year-old Joseph Mendoza which occurred on Tuesday night, April 8, 2025, at Salinas Valley State Prison (SVSP) in Soledad. At approximately 5:39 p.m., staff observed incarcerated persons 30-year-old Edgar Frayre and 32-year-old Nicolas Young attacking Joseph Mendoza with improvised weapons on the dayroom floor in Facility C. Staff immediately responded and issued several verbal commands to stop, which were ignored. Staff then deployed multiple less-than-lethal use-of-force options, which ultimately quelled the incident. Frayre and Young were secured in handcuffs. Medical aid was initiated for Mendoza; however, he was pronounced deceased at 6:10 p.m. Medical evaluations were conducted on Frayre and Young, and no serious injuries were reported. Frayre and Young have been placed in restricted housing pending an investigat...

King City CHP is searching for person of interest who fled the scene of a fatal crash in Greenfield

On Monday, September 16 at approximately 3:50 pm, a fatal traffic collision occurred on Metz Road south of Elm Avenue in Greenfield. The driver who caused the collision fled on foot and is currently outstanding. The California Highway Patrol King City Area is currently seeking the whereabouts of 31-year-old Agustin Santana-Moncada of King City who has been identified as a person of interest in the case. The King City Area is requesting assistance from the public in locating Santana-Moncada. Anyone with information is asked to contact the King City Area office at (831) 385-3216.

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