Missing 3-year-old found in Butte County marijuana grow site, sheriff says

Two parents in Bangor were arrested after their missing 3-year-old child was located at an illegal marijuana grow site, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office said.

The sheriff’s office said the 3-year-old’s mother had reported the child missing from a home on Laporte Road at 10:35 p.m. on May 6.

A K9 tracking team began searching for the child on her parents’ 51.65 acre property. Deputies and detective’s investigation determined the child had been missing since 7:30 p.m. that day.

The investigation also determined that the parents, 32-year-old Mayra Barajas and 35-year-old Jose Valenciacontreas, were cultivating marijuana on the property.

The sheriff’s office said the tracking K9 led deputies to an illegal marijuana grow site.

On May 7, around 3:21 a.m., the child was found under a tarp that was covering hundreds of marijuana plants, according to the sheriff’s office.

The child was cold and required immediate medical attention, the sheriff’s office said. She was taken to a local hospital and has been released to Butte County Children’s Services.

Barajas and Valenciacontreas were arrested for felony child endangerment and have been booked into Butte County Jail.

The sheriff’s office said detectives served a search warrant for the residence on Laporte Road and found 6,674 pounds of processed marijuana, 5,257 marijuana plants and four firearms.