By PAUL J. YOUNG, City News Service:

A woman growing marijuana illegally on her De Luz property had an unusual complaint for Riverside County Supervisor Kevin Jeffries -- someone stole her crop. "A bunch of guys dressed in camouflage and carrying guns dropped from a helicopter, cut down her crop, loaded it onto the chopper and flew away," Jeffries said. "We did some quick research and discovered that, sure enough, this type of thing has been happening in Northern California."

Jeffries related what his staff learned from the distressed property owner, whose identity was not released, at the outset of the Board of Supervisors' regular weekly meeting. "This is getting serious," he said. "We have people with weapons in residential neighborhoods. This is going to escalate. Someone we consider innocent is going to get caught in the crossfire."

The supervisor has repeatedly complained about the activity of two drug cartels with outdoor marijuana grows throughout Good Hope, Meadowbrook and Mead Valley. A driving survey by Jeffries' staff resulted in the identification of at least 250 grows, he said. In July, the supervisor introduced tentative provisions for an ordinance aimed at deterring large-scale grows while providing exemptions for residents legally engaged in cultivating medical marijuana. The ordinance is being crafted and is expected to be the subject of public hearings before year's end.

"These cartels believe it's easier to grow the marijuana in California rather than import it into the state," Jeffries said. "Out in my district is where they tend to grow it."

The woman whose 20-acre property was the target of the apparent illegal seizure about two weeks ago said she tried to cultivate avocados and flowers, but neither proved as profitable as weed, according to Jeffries.

The woman told the supervisor's staff that she was not present when the raid occurred, but learned about it later from her on-site "manager," according to Jeffries' spokesman, Tom Ketcham. "He told her the guys came rappelling down from the helicopter and handcuffed him," Ketcham told City News Service. "They chopped down the plants, freed his hands and told him not to call the police. Then they left with the plants."