2 Arrested on Drug Charges after Fire Destroys De la Vina Apartment

Investigators uncover an illegal marijuana conversion operation inside the unit

Santa Barbara firefighters survey the damage Friday to an apartment on De la Vina Street.
Santa Barbara firefighters survey the damage Friday to an apartment on De la Vina Street. (Santa Barbara Fire Department photo)

By Michelle Nelson, Noozhawk Managing Editor | updated logo | Published on 01.29.2010

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Fire destroyed one apartment and caused significant damage to another at a multiresidential complex at 1023 De la Vina St. on Friday morning. The unit was unoccupied at the time of the blaze, and no one was injured.

The one unit and its contents were a total loss. The occupants of the two adjacent apartments were able to escape after being alerted to the emergency by smoke detectors.

Arson investigators with the Santa Barbara Fire Department sifted through the ashes of the interior, assisted by detectives with the Santa Barbara Police Department.

Luis Antonio Murillo Aguirre
Luis Antonio Murillo Aguirre

Police Lt. Paul McCaffrey, a department spokesman, said about a pound of marijuana was found inside a locked fire-proof safe, and 30 to 40 cans of butane were scattered throughout the residence. Investigators determined that the blaze was the direct result of an illegal marijuana conversion operation, and that the residents were using highly flammable butane to convert marijuana from leaf form to concentrated oil to sell to a dispensary.

Krista Marie Gary
Krista Marie Gary

Luis Antonio Murillo Aguirre, 30, and Krista Marie Gary, 23, both of Santa Barbara, were arrested on charges of unlawful possession of marijuana for sale, unlawful conversion of marijuana to a concentrated form and conspiracy to commit these crimes.

— Noozhawk managing editor Michelle Nelson can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

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» smoke and fire on 01.30.10 @ 03:46 PM

While the City Council dithers around about just how many dispensaries we “need” in this town, illegal activities like this put the unsuspecting public at great risk. Thankfully, none of the neighbors was hurt or killed—but they well could have been. How many more of us have to worry about marijuana processors right next door, ready and willing to blow us up while they rake in the unregulated cash.

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» Lars on 01.30.10 @ 10:03 PM

Talk about stupidity.

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» sbnative on 01.31.10 @ 12:48 AM

WOW, Lars, I agree with you! Dumb and dumber… but sadly also dangerous.

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» There is no control on 01.31.10 @ 11:58 AM

The city council wants us to believe that dispensaries are a business they can control. Collectives are already legal and allowed to provide pot to sick people. The city can do nothing to stop, control or manage them.

Now, the city says they want to have retail pot stores, too. Not one, but 7. One for each of OUR neighborhoods. Yet, these proposed 7 sanctioned and codified pot shops will be still be illegal under state and federal law. The druggies are saying, “Tax and Tolerate”. I don’t think so.

They can’t control the illegal ones. What makes them think they can control permitted ones? When was the last time you heard about the city going after whatever zoning violation exists in your neighborhood? How many illegal rentals to you know about? How long does it take for the police to respond to your concerns? The city can’t seem to manage anything, not even the potholes. Why would we believe that they can control drugs?

We have and always will have illegal drug sales. Thanks to Prop 215 we have legal collective establishments. And, now the city thinks we need some retail pot, too. Retail pot that will set us up for lawsuits.

Are they kidding? I’m not buying it. Are you?

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» SBres on 01.31.10 @ 12:00 PM

This was very stupid, but if marijuana was legal these projects would be happening in labs instead of apartments.

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» Michiganswampdog on 01.31.10 @ 12:46 PM

Common-sense fix: Legalize, tax, regulate. Come up with sensible solutions, not a knee-jerk panic-attack with bug-eyed hyperventilation, stammering and nonsensical gibberish. It’s hard to dispel seventy-five years of lies and propaganda. Did you know? You can fatally overdose on water, but not on marijuana. I guess you could say this makes marijuana safer than water. Hard to believe (by some), but not to those in the know. Here in Michigan, two-thirds of voters legalized medical marijuana in the ‘08 election. It works for me and many others. The “experts” are clamoring for more research, but the govt., as usual, is blocking all efforts. Thank God for Cannabis!

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» More Smokescreen on 02.01.10 @ 08:20 AM

Legalizing will not move this activity into labs. In the business of drug sales, anyone can play. The homegrower, the Mexican cartels, and now the government wants a cut. Why? Follow the money!!

We do not have a problem getting access to pot, we have a problem with too much pot. It’s everywhere. If a kid wants pot at school in the morning, they can find it from someone by lunch. Legalizing or dispensing will bring more drugs, more druggies, more addiction, and more lost potential.

The pro-pot folks must be addicts or why would they be stomping their feet demanding legalization via taxation? It’s sad and slick.

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» someone on 02.01.10 @ 03:03 PM

i know that guy, im glad he’ll be gone for a long time.

karma sure does suck, doesnt it?

haha.

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» Dave on 02.02.10 @ 08:49 AM

I AGREE.  KARMA!

THIS DUDE IS A THIEF AND A TRUE CRIMINAL AND SHOULD BE PUNISHED FOR A VERY LONG TIME.  BUTANE HAS BEEN ILLEGAL FOR YEARS.

I AM A PATIENT, AND USE MEDICINE FOR MY CONDITION.  BUTANE IN MY EDIBLES?  GREAT.  THANKS BUDDY.  I HOPE YOU ROT IN HELL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR MONEY.

THIS MAN JACKED AN ENTIRE GROW FOR MEDICAL PATIENTS AND BEGAN THE MELTING DOWN OF THE PRODUCT TO HIDE HIS ACTIONS.

SHAME-SHAME-SHAME

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» daveneedstogetalife on 02.21.10 @ 10:00 PM

Dave and “someone” should not confuse what happened with “karma” ...don’t be so ridiculous. “SBres” and “MIswampdog” pretty much summed it up, this kind of shit happens because it isn’t legally done in labs.

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