Grow Suspects Plead

DAYTON - Gerardo Agu- irre-Hernandez and Ramon Estrada-Gonzalez pleaded not guilty last Thursday in Columbia County to charges of growing marijuana and to being illegal aliens in posses- sion of firearms.

Both men are expected to appear in court for a two-day trial on Nov. 8 and 9 in Day- ton.

Agu- irre- Her- nandez, 41, and Estrada- Gonzalez, 61, were arrested on Sept. 4 in a forested area east of Dayton after the Wash- ington S t ate Patrol's Cannabis Eradica- tion and Reclamation Team received a tip that there was a grow operation in the area. The men were charged with one count of manufacturing a controlled substance, a class C felony, and one count of being an alien in possession of a firearm, also a class C felony.

According to the probable cause documents on the case, the Cannabis Eradication and Reclamation Team discov- ered the grow operation and arrested the men who told a translator they were ap- proached in San Jose, Calif., and asked if they wanted to work in an orchard.

The men said they were transported to Washington where they were dropped off and told they would be growing marijuana instead of working in an orchard. The men told the translator the one rifle they possessed was given to them for self defense against bears, according to the documents.

The last marijuana grow operation in Columbia County was discovered in the sum- mer of 2011 when two Mexi- can nationals were arrested in the Cold Creek area. The men were also in possession of weapons.

Aguirre-Hernandez is being held in Columbia County and Estrada-Gonzalez is being held in Garfield County.