Mississauga man charged after alleged grow-op fire
Posted April 29, 2011 8:58 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Peel police have charged a 56-year-old Mississauga man after they discovered a marijuana grow-op in a house destroyed by fire.
The blaze started around 6:30 a.m. Tuesday at a home on Duchess Drive, near Cawthra Road and the QEW.
When the fire was out, officers found more than 100 marijuana plants, many of which had been damaged by the flames. They arrested a suspect, Paul Pasceri, who was at the home at the time and escaped unharmed.
He has been charged with production of a controlled substance and will appear in a Brampton court on May 26.
The Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office is still investigating the cause of the fire. The estimated cost of the damage is $600,000.
Here are some signs a home may be concealing a grow-op, courtesy of Peel Regional Police:
- Windows are sealed or covered at all times, particularly in the basement
- New venting has been installed, such as multiple roof or dryer vents
- Smell of damp vegetation coming from the home
- People visit at odd hours
- Little or no garbage put out
- Exterior in disrepair (uncut lawns and driveways never cleared of snow)
- Continuous sound of fans and blowers
