Santa Rosa robbers mistake man’s home for marijuana grow house

FILE - In this Oct. 16, 2013, file photo, marijuana clone plants that are used to grow medical marijuana are displayed under a light at a medical marijuana cooperative in Seattle. The American Medical Association agreed Monday, Nov. 16, 2015, to push for regulations requiring warnings be written on medical and recreational pot products and posted wherever they are sold, based on studies suggesting marijuana use may be linked with low birth weight, premature birth and behavior problems in young children. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File) less FILE - In this Oct. 16, 2013, file photo, marijuana clone plants that are used to grow medical marijuana are displayed under a light at a medical marijuana cooperative in Seattle. The American Medical ... more Photo: Ted S. Warren, Associated Press Photo: Ted S. Warren, Associated Press Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Santa Rosa robbers mistake man’s home for marijuana grow house 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A Santa Rosa man fought off a pack of would-be robbers, some armed with handguns, Thursday morning after they mistook his house for the site of a marijuana growing operation, authorities said.

Police responded to reports of the attempted robbery on Rhianna Street, about a block from Finley Community Park, and witnesses told them three men had approached the home of the victim just before 7:20 a.m., officials said

The group of men, two of whom were armed with handguns, confronted the victim, a 26-year-old man, in the front yard and demanded to enter the home.

Police said the man fought them off and retreated to his garage where a struggle ensued as he tried to close the door while the robbers attempted to pull it open. Eventually, the men gave up and fled the area in a waiting car, police said.

Investigators believe the man’s house was targeted because the armed bandits thought there was a marijuana growing operation there, though police said no such operation exists.

The victim was uninjured and police encouraged anyone with information about the incident to contact Santa Rosa police at (707) 543-3590.

Kale Williams is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: kwilliams@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfkale