Trio arrested, suspected of planning Redwood Valley pot heist

A tip about a suspicious vehicle by a rural driveway in Redwood Valley led deputies to find three East Bay men they suspect were trying to steal pot on Wednesday, Mendocino County Sheriff’s officials said.

James Molina Rodriguez Jr., 41, of Hayward, Haskell Ray Story Jr., 45, and Angelo John Pacheco, 37, both of San Leandro were booked into the Mendocino County Jail on suspicion of conspiracy to commit robbery, possession of a controlled substance and being under the influence of a controlled substance, Capt. Greg Van Patten said.

In the wake of a series of violent home-invasion robberies, many involving marijuana, the Sheriff’s Office responded to the tip by sending all on-duty patrol deputies to the area in search of the vehicle, with a description and partial license plate number.

Dispatched to the Colony Drive property at about 7 a.m., the deputies found the three men in the vehicle about two miles west on the 9500 block of East Road, Van Patten said. Two of the men were wearing camouflage and all were covered in marijuana residue and mud, he said.

Deputies found a small amount of methamphetamine and tools that could be used for breaking into buildings or cutting marijuana.

Anyone with information about this robbery or another case can call 463-4086.

You can reach Staff Writer Julie Johnson at 521-5220 or julie.johnson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @jjpressdem.