BANGOR — Authorities arrested two parents on alleged felony child endangerment after a search for their missing daughter led a search team to thousands of marijuana plants.
The child’s mother Mayra Barajas, 32, reported her daughter missing from a residence located on a 51.65-acre parcel in the 7000 block of Laporte Road, Bangor on Monday night.
Butte County Sheriff’s Office deputies, detectives, deputies from the Yuba County Sheriff’s Office and search and rescue personnel all searched for the child, according to a news release from BCSO. BCSO used K-9s which led them to the marijuana plants. Deputies found the girl after she was missing for almost eight hours. She was found under a tarp next to hundreds of marijuana plants at 3:21 a.m. Tuesday.
According to the release the child was cold and required medical attention when she was found. The girl was transported to a hospital to be treated and was later released to Butte County Children’s Services.
Barajas and the child’s father Jose Valenciacontreas, 35, were arrested on suspicion of child endangerment and booked at the Butte County Jail following the search for their child. In the afternoon after authorities found the child detectives served a search warrant at the residence on Laporte Road.
Detectives allegedly found 6,674.55 pounds of processed marijuana, 5,257 marijuana plants and four firearms on the property, according to the release.