In a recent incident that took place in Miranda, a small town in Northern California’s Emerald Triangle cannabis-growing region, a former manager of a marijuana farm, Thomas Vernon Harwood Jr., was arrested for his involvement in an armed robbery at the farm where he used to work.
Harwood, along with 10 other masked men, arrived at the farm unannounced on Monday afternoon. They assaulted one of the victims at the farm and forcibly took him into a car on the property. The armed group then proceeded to steal a substantial amount of cannabis from the facility.
Fortunately, the victim managed to escape in the car and promptly informed the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office about the robbery. Meanwhile, Harwood was apprehended near the cannabis growing facility shortly after the incident, but the other thieves fled the scene in a white Ford pickup truck with concealed license plates. The authorities were informed that these other culprits were wearing body armor and possibly armed.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has been familiar with such robberies at marijuana farms in the region, with illegal grows often being targeted. This unfortunate incident highlights the risks and challenges faced by cannabis workers in the area.
Thomas Vernon Harwood Jr. has been charged with robbery, burglary, false imprisonment, and conspiracy to commit a crime. Authorities are likely to continue their investigations to track down the other members of the armed group involved in this robbery.
