A three-day investigation into suspected marijuana sales at a Santa Maria high school ended with the arrests of six juveniles and one teen adult.
On Feb. 10, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department began its investigation into suspected marijuana sales at Righetti High School after school officials discovered three juvenile students in possession of “large amounts” of marijuana, according to department spokesman Drew Sugars.
Over the next two days, a department narcotics detective and a patrol deputy identified three juvenile boys and three juvenile girls—all students—who were found to be in possession of either marijuana, paraphernalia, a knife, or tobacco products.
The juveniles range in age from 14 to 17, and were arrested for a variety of reasons, including suspicion of possession of more than one ounce of marijuana, and possession of more than one ounce of marijuana for sale.
Sugars said the Sheriff’s Department got involved because of the “unusual” amount of drugs found on three of the students by school staff members.
“It was quite a bit of marijuana, and that’s what got the ball rolling on this [investigation],” Sugars said. “When you start getting into ounces, this isn’t merely possession, which would be illegal anyway—and I don’t want to downplay that on a school campus—but this is something else.”
Another student, an 18-year-old Santa Marian, was also arrested on Feb. 11, after he
was allegedly caught on campus with approximately 13 grams packaged for individual sale.
Doug Kimberly, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District’s Superintendent, could not be reached for comment as of press time.
This article appears in Feb 24 – Mar 3, 2011.
