Police seize pot in home raid

Detectives assigned to the Sheriff’s Office Investigative Support Unit raided a Spokane Valley home Tuesday morning and seized marijuana, growing equipment and cash, said spokesman Sgt. Dave Reagan.

The raid at 7802 E. Mission Ave. followed a traffic stop in which Deputy Jack Rosenthal smelled the odor of growing marijuana while issuing a motorist a ticket. He forwarded the tip to drug detectives who returned to the home and also noted the smell of growing dope.

Rosenthal developed his keen sense of smell during a previous assignment to the drug unit.

A search warrant was obtained and investigators raided the residence about 9 a.m. Tuesday. They found 92 plants growing in pots in two basement rooms, and about a pound of harvested marijuana. A shed behind the home was being used as a drying room, an ISU spokesman reported.

Resident James D. Heston, 44, arrived at the home while the search was under way. He was arrested and booked into the Spokane County Jail on a felony count of manufacturing a controlled substance.

Evidence in the home indicated the drug growing operation had been a long-term operation, possibly for several years.