Posted on 11/16/2023 11:42:16 AM PST by nickcarraway
The owner of Decibel Gardens, which grows and packages marijuana in Santa Cruz, was arrested by police after attacking multiple masked people who are still on the loose.
Derek Hubbard was arrested on four counts of attempted murder Monday after police reviewed surveillance footage and interviewed witnesses.
His business, operating on Encinal Street behind locked gates, was reportedly robbed by approximately eight masked thieves early Monday morning, according to Santa Cruz Police.
The alarm was tripped at about 4:30 a.m. Monday, and Hubbard arrived on the scene before police. With a handgun, Hubbard allegedly fired multiple rounds at suspects.
After reviewing surveillance video, police determined Hubbard endangered four of the robbers, hence the four counts of attempted murder.
"Our investigation leads us to believe the owner shot first," Bush said.
Hubbard then chased the thieves and rammed his car into the suspects' as they were trying to escape the scene and fired more rounds. That's when the suspects fired back at least once.
Bush says the owner fired about 8-10 times in total.
One of the get away cars, a white sedan with a rear-end damage, was found abandoned off of Highway 17 northbound near the exit for Pasatiempo. Police say it was stolen from the San Francisco Bay Area.
According to Bush, nothing was stolen from the business.
"The owner of the business used a lethal and deadly amount of force for what was essentially a property crime. And not only was it a property crime, but these subjects were exiting his business and did not pose a threat of violence or harm to anybody," Bush said.
"The attempted murder charges come from the discharge of the firearm," he said.
This is not the first time Hubbard's business has been robbed.
In March, a cannabis business on Fair Avenue, only a few miles away was robbed by multiple masked thieves, and then three days later, Decibel Gardens was robbed.
Palmer says Hubbard hired a private investigator who uncovered the identities of least two suspects that were tied to other cannabis robberies in Monterey County.
"He [Hubbard] hired a private investigator to stop these guys from victimizing him and police told him not to do that." a friend and business partner, Grant Palmer, said. He co-owns CannaCruz down the street.
Related | 6 arrested for burglary of Salinas cannabis dispensary Saturday morning
Police suspect the two robberies in March are connected, but are unsure if this latest incident is related.
Palmer believes all these robberies are connected and says he's fed up with Santa Cruz Police.
"We have all this security and they keep wanting to blame us," Palmer said. "What can a security guard do against armed robbers that Derrek didn't do?"
He says his business was similarly robbed earlier this year, and that he captured over ten masked thieves on his security camera.
"I would like to know what Chief Escalante's policy is on armed robberies because it seems to be there isn't one," he said.
"When they [Santa Cruz Police] robbed us they didn't even collect evidence. We offered it to them and they were like 'Yeah, there's nothing that we can do.'"
No suspects in any of these robberies have been arrested or identified.
I guess going broke and not being able to feed your family so you starve due to theft is not a matter of life and death. I hate our garbage establishment.
The man is a hero while the thieves should’ve been shot dead.
Cmon man. It’s just pot….
Those Cannibals are getting crazier than ****.
Masked guys with guns breaking into a business are a pretty reasonable cause to believe one’s life is in danger.
In a sane world, anyway.
Forget it, Jake - it’s California.
Oh Yeah the SECRET SERVICE IN DC
“The owner of the business used a lethal and deadly amount of force for what was essentially a property crime. And not only was it a property crime, but these subjects were exiting his business and did not pose a threat of violence or harm to anybody,” Bush said.
Not in Texas. We can use deadly force to prevent theft of property.
The owner of a company that makes cannabis products was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after firing a gun to try to stop thieves from robbing his business, officials said.
Derek Hubbard, 36, the owner of a cannabis facility on the 300 block of Encinal Street in Santa Cruz, arrived at the business around 4 a.m. after the alarm was triggered by the attempted robbery, Jon Bush, a spokesperson for the Santa Cruz Police Department told SFGATE.
As the individuals who attempted to rob the facility exited the building, Hubbard fired several shots from a handgun and subsequently rammed one of their getaway vehicles with his vehicle, Bush said. After Hubbard fired several shots, the thieves also shot back, he said.
Hubbard was booked into the Santa Cruz County Jail with no bail on Monday on suspicion of multiple counts of attempted murder, according to jail records.
Though the individuals were attempting to steal, Hubbard was arrested because shooting at them and ramming his vehicle was not a “ reasonable” and “lawful” way to stop the crime, Bush said.
Police said Hubbard called law enforcement after the altercation had already occurred. The cannabis facility located on Encinal Street has been targeted in robberies before, at least once this year before Monday’s attempt, Bush said.
In the past few years, at least “half a dozen” manufacturing or cannabis facilities have had multiple breaks or attempted break-ins.
Police have not identified or arrested any suspects and do not believe the individuals who broke in left with any merchandise, Bush said.
what did the police do to serve and protect this man and his business ?
The arrested him for making them look bad, and now the gang of robbers are free to finish the job they started.
Isn't that the point?🤔
From the article: "...That's when the suspects fired back at least once... The owner of the business used a lethal and deadly amount of force for what was essentially a property crime."
Eight armed, masked men and this corrupt deputy chief calls it a property crime?
The eight were guilty of a slew of felonies once they committed criminal trespass while carrying a firearm.
Conspiracy, criminal trespass, armed robbery, breaking and entering, robbery, assault, assault with a deadly weapon, attempted murder, criminal possession of a weapon, etc.
The victim's real crime? From the article: "He [the victim] hired a private investigator to stop these guys from victimizing him and police told him not to do that." The Apparatus cannot have victims exposing intentional failures of The Apparatus.
This arrest of the victim reads like the police are angry that a criminal gang that's been giving them kickbacks got involved in a gunfight, exposing the whole racket.
Isn't that the point?🤔
It is perfectly fine however for the secret service to fire on suspects in D.C. for breaking into their car.
They were allowed to endanger him.
Great arguments exist for why this Bush idjit is FOS, but it’s a CA case, so it’s pissing into the wind to even bother.
Can’t say I’m into weed, but anyone firing on felons gets a NOT GUILTY if I’m the jury...I could care less what the circumstances might be.
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