Narcotics agents seized 57 marijuana plants Sept. 1 from the Chimayó property of a State Police 911 dispatcher, according to the Region 3 multi-agency drug task force.
Virginia Ensey, 57, a dispatcher for State Police District 7 based in Española, was placed on administrative leave as of Sept. 2 after the Region’s marijuana eradication operation discovered the plants in the backyard of her home on Rio Arriba County Road 92, according to State Police Lt. Eric Garcia. Police said they haven’t identified whether the plants belong to Ensey, her husband, whose name has not been released, or a third party.
“I don’t know if they were hers or her husband’s or someone’s who was staying with them,” Garcia said. “I do know for a fact that Virginia does have a tendency if someone’s in need of help or something, they do go and stay with her.”
An unspecified amount of marijuana was also seized from inside the house. The case has been forwarded to the District Attorney’s office, Region 3 Lt. Juan Martinez said.
Assistant District Attorney Shelley Strong she hadn’t made a decision on whether or whom to charge with a crime and couldn’t explain why police didn’t charge the property owners.
Ensey could not be reached for comment.
Region 3 agents did arrest a Velarde man for allegedly growing marijuana on his property. Police allegedly seized 117 marijuana plants from 44-year-old Charles Jaramillo’s County Road 41 property Sept. 3, along with about a half a gram of psilocybin mushrooms and a pipe with marijuana residue.
After his plantation was seen by an Army National Guard aerial observer, agents knocked on the door to get consent to search and noticed several marijuana plants about five feet from the front door, Martinez said. No one came to the door, although two cars were in the driveway and the gate was locked; so agents left to get a warrant, Martinez said.
Upon returning, agents busted down the door to the home and found Jaramillo and his wife in bed. Jaramillo’s wife later told the agents that she tried to answer the door when they first came by, but Jaramillo physically restrained her, Martinez said.
A charge of false imprisonment was therefore added to Jaramillo’s other charges: distribution of marijuana, two counts of controlled substance possession and possession of drug paraphernalia, agent Thomas Maes said. Jaramillo was being held at Santa Fe County Jail on no bond pending arraignment.