Threats and Beatings Used to Keep Four Brothers Working on Marijuana Farm, Alleges Calaveras County Sheriff

Medarela Estudillo and Guadalupe Arrellano feature

Left to Right: Medarela Estudillo and Guadalupe Arrellano were arrested and charged in this case.

This is a press release from the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office. The information has not been proven in a court of law and any individuals described should be presumed innocent until proven guilty:

Calaveras County SheriffOn 7/27/16 the CCSO took a report of a suspicious circumstances call in West Point California. A resident reported that four unknown subjects arrived at the resident’s home asking to call 911 for help from law enforcement. The following events took place.

CCSO Patrol Deputies arrived on scene and contacted four Hispanic males. Three of the males had significant visible injuries. The injured victims reported that they had been held hostage since February of 2016 and they were beaten while being forced to work in a large marijuana cultivation site near the town of West Point in Calaveras County. The injured victims were transported to an area hospital however; one victim had to be transported to a trauma center due to severe injuries.

Sheriff’s Detectives were called in to take over the investigation. Two of the victims in this case advised they were picked up by a female later identified as Guadalupe Sierra Arellano aka “Lupe” near the city of Modesto under the guise of working on a landscaping project at a home. They were transported into Calaveras County. Once they arrived, they worked at a home in West Point for several days before being taken by force to a nearby large marijuana cultivation site where they were threatened and forced to work for a period of months.

The suspect known as Lupe was able to obtain the victim’s home address in Modesto. The suspect Lupe travelled to Modesto and contacted the victim’s family members. At the Modesto home Lupe told the family that the victims were working for her and involved in Marijuana. Lupe offered to take two additional family members to see the other two victims however, Lupe threatened that if they reported anything to law enforcement the family members would be killed. Two additional brothers went with Lupe to the home near West Point to see if their family members were safe. Again these two brothers were confronted and threatened by armed men and taken to the nearby marijuana site where they were reunited with their family members and forced to work. The remaining family in Modesto was also being threatened.

In the days leading up to their escape on July 27, 2016 the victims were beaten for complaining about the conditions of their captivity.

The victims overheard a male captor or suspect ask Lupe if they “could kill the victims.””Lupe reportedly responded no because they were almost done with the marijuana harvest.” “Once they were done they would kill the victims.” It was also during this time that one of the male captors attempted to stab one of the victims. The suspect was holding a knife and gun at the same time. The victims decided to escape at night and were successful however; it took them nearly all night to find help.

On 7/28/16 the Calaveras County Sheriff s Office Detectives, the Calaveras County Sheriff’s SWAT Team, Tuolumne County Sheriff’s SWAT Team, the FBI, BLM (Bureau of Land Management), Cal Fire, and Angels Police Department K9s served a search warrant near Bald Mountain Rd. in connection with this case. Over 23 Thousand Marijuana Plants were located at an estimated street value between $18 and $60 Million dollars. During the service of the search warrant a Hispanic male was observed running from investigators. A back pack was found along the trail that this subject travelled and investigators recovered a handgun from the bag. No arrests were made at the time the search warrant was served however, the investigation continued. Over the next several weeks search warrants were served at locations in Stanislaus County. The Calaveras County Sheriff s Office in conjunction with the FBI and the Calaveras County District Attorney’s Office obtained arrest warrants for suspects involved in this case. The District Attorney’s Office is reviewing additional charges against other known and identified suspects.

The Calaveras County Sheriff s Office would like to thank the following agencies for their assistance in this case. The FBI, Tuolumne County Sheriff s Office, the Stanislaus County Sheriff s Office, the Angels Police Department, BLM, Cal Fire, and the Calaveras County District Attorney’s Office. In addition we would like to thank both our local Victims Services through the Calaveras County Crisis Center and the FBI’s Victim’s Services Unit.

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36 Comments
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Me
Guest
Me
7 years ago

29 THOUSAND PLANTS??????

Definitely not a mom and pop operation.

sharpen your pencil
Guest
sharpen your pencil
7 years ago
Reply to  Me

23,000…. but yes, not small time….

May B
Guest
May B
7 years ago
Reply to  Me

just for medical 😉

Bud
Guest
Bud
7 years ago

A Latino or marijuana relate crime?

Syke
Guest
Syke
7 years ago

So, the CCSO had no knowledge of a 23,000 plant garden beforehand? Wow.

Yup
Guest
Yup
7 years ago

Mexico ‘s obviously is sending their best.

Joe Mota
Guest
Joe Mota
7 years ago
Reply to  Yup

This is not Mexico “sending” people here; despite the silly claims of one of the presidential candidates.

Local
Guest
Local
7 years ago
Reply to  Joe Mota

Both Trump and the poster are being sarcastic. I believe the poster is referring to Trumps idea of “vetting” ie checking for a criminal record, before allowing someone into the country.

I’m not that into Trump, but he is frequently misrepresented in the media. & I’m not into everything he wants with immigration, but this particular thing isn’t a bad idea. I know some of my neighbors don’t want some of their old neighbors in Mexico moving here- people like the people in this story. That’s why some people moved here in the first place. To get away from that.

N
Guest
N
7 years ago
Reply to  Local

Trump is a fraud.

It's time.
Guest
7 years ago
Reply to  N

And a racist, idiotic, blabbering lier. Anyone who is for Trump has a very low IQ or they’re racist. That goes hand and hand though.

Trending
Guest
Trending
7 years ago
Reply to  It's time.

Hmm

It's time.
Guest
7 years ago
Reply to  Trending

All I did was state facts. I understand ignorant people are out there, but you prove my point. Just like trump, you are so quick to place a large piece of our population into one category branding them all the same. Crazy white people are gonna be angry when they figure out he has no effing idea what he’s doing.

Who
Guest
Who
7 years ago
Reply to  N

Oh but it’s quite the opposite N. half of the non governmental contacts people Hillary met with give to the Clinton Foundation.Play for pay .more people believe in Bigfoot then Hillary’s honesty.

If...If...If
Guest
If...If...If
7 years ago
Reply to  Who

Exactly, The guy that tried to sell Obamas vacant senate seat is still in jail and will be for some time, only difference between him, obummer, and illary is they got caught on paper doing the same damn thing, too big to jail

scooter
Guest
7 years ago

Nothing to see here folks… Just another little Mom and Mom’s cartel operation.

Are ANY of the perps in custody yet?

RLB
Guest
RLB
7 years ago

“There not sending their best folks!”

Mogtx
Guest
7 years ago

They look like women .sisters not brothers

Liz
Guest
Liz
7 years ago
Reply to  Mogtx

These photos are of the two women arrested. The victims are not pictured.

Liz
Guest
Liz
7 years ago

Were these men reported missing? Two brothers visit the other two and they don’t return and no one calls the law?

Eastside
Guest
Eastside
7 years ago
Reply to  Liz

They were probably threatened.

Call me A.D.D. but....
Guest
Call me A.D.D. but....
7 years ago
Reply to  Liz

The story clearly states that these women went to the men’s home in Modesto and threatened their family.

UncleBam
Guest
UncleBam
7 years ago

Griselda Blanco’s offspring?

Someone
Guest
Someone
7 years ago
Reply to  UncleBam

Hahaha. Be surprised if anyone besides us even knows who that is.

Wow
Guest
Wow
7 years ago

Looks like woman are the ones abusing men in this industry.

Double standards much?

Dot
Guest
Dot
7 years ago

What a crazy situation. 23,000 plants, deception to get workers (testing them at a ‘real’ job to see how they work? Then kidnapping them?! Wow.
Sounds like there were both male & female captors, but the women are the ones arrested so far and possibly the ringleaders… When’s the novel based on this story come out? 😳

May B
Guest
May B
7 years ago
Reply to  Dot

right?

C
Guest
C
7 years ago

I’m sure this is the first time this has ever happened in the industry. *wink*

Honeydew Bridge Chump
Guest
Honeydew Bridge Chump
7 years ago

Example of women involved in human trafficking, bet these men were raped also.

Glad they lived to tell their tale and charge these women human traffickers.

whokilledourdaddy
Guest
whokilledourdaddy
7 years ago

that’s just down the road a few miles from Charles Ng and Leonard Lake’s old deadly cabin

N
Guest
N
7 years ago

I am glad these men somehow escaped and saved themselves. I hope they can recover fully. What an awful experience for them.

Peace
Guest
Peace
7 years ago
Reply to  N

Thank you, I thought I was the only one that was happy for them. It’s a cold world we live in these days.

A straight shooter
Guest
A straight shooter
7 years ago

Wow, what a story! Those are some dark spirited women! Throw the book at them!

Equalizer
Guest
Equalizer
7 years ago

Permitted? Grandfathered in? Medical? Lol

zerodoubt
Guest
zerodoubt
7 years ago

Scum of the earth!