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Home Invasion Call Turns Into Marijuana Grow House Bust

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TBO.com

Published: September 1, 2008

Polk County deputies responding to a home invasion Monday say they found more than they expected.

Deputies arrived at the home on 4312 Shadow Wood Trail in Winter Haven about 4 a.m. on Monday after a woman called to say two armed men were in her home.

Deputies found two people, Virgilio De La Paz, 33, and Barbara Rodriguez, 28, in a closet, spokeswoman Carrie Rodgers said. De La Paz was handcuffed and bleeding from a head injury, Rodgers said.

The victims told deputies two Spanish-speaking men came into their home, struck De La Paz with a pistol, and forced him and Rodriguez into the closet. As deputies searched the home for the suspects, they found a sophisticated marijuana grow operation set up in two rooms of the house, Rodgers said.

Detectives removed about 100 mature plants, which authorities will destroy.

De La Paz and Rodriguez are the only people who live in the home, detectives said. Authorities were interviewing them.

The home invasion suspects still are on the loose. Both wore masks to cover their faces and both were armed with black semi-automatic handguns, Rodgers said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's office at 1-800-226-0344 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS.

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