WENGNews writes, "SARASOTA COUNTY NARCOTICS DETECTIVES SAY THEY’VE BUSTED ANOTHER MARIJUANA GROW HOUSE IN NORTH PORT RECENTLY. DEPUTIES SAY A NARCOTICS TASK FORCE WAS INFORMED THAT A HOME IN THE 6300 BLOCK OF NORTH BISCAYNE DRIVE MAY HAVE BEEN A GROW HOUSE. THEY NOTICED THE DISTINCT ODOR OF POT AS THEY RANG THE DOOR BELL, AND WHEN THE DOOR WAS OPENED, THE SMELL GOT STRONGER. 75 YEAR OLD HECTOR ORTEGA ANSWERED THE DOOR, BUT DENIED THAT HE SMELLED ANYTHING. A WARRANT WAS SECURED, AND EVERYONE WAS ORDERED OUT OF THE HOUSE. AS IT WAS BEING SEARCHED, DETECTIVES FOUND A PERSON HIDING IN A CLOSET WITH MARIJUANA PLANTS. THEY WERE NOT ARRESTED AS ORTEGA CLAIMED HE WAS TAKING CARE OF THE FORTY PLANTS FOUND IN THE HOUSE. HE SAID HE WAS BEING PAID BY SOMEONE ELSE TO TAKE CARE OF THE WEED, WHICH WAS VALUED AT OVER $360,000 DOLLARS. ORTEGA WAS ARRESTED ON CULTIVATION AND PARAPHERNALIA CHARGES. HE WAS TAKEN TO THE CHARLOTTE COUNTY JAIL AND HELD ON $2000 DOLLARS BOND. "
