Man pulled from attic during Lehigh Acres drug bust

LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. — A 32-year-old man hid in an attic crawl space to avoid deputies who said they found over 100 marijuana plants inside the home he was in, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said.

Baldemar Ojeda-Hernandez was physically extracted from the crawl space after ignoring commands to surrender, the department said. Hernandez, of 1317 Prospect Ave., is charged with cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana over 20 grams, renting a structure to traffic drugs and resisting arrest. He remained in the Lee County jail on Thursday under a $50,000 bond.

Hernandez had a backpack containing $8,440, personal paperwork that included a passport, and provisions to help him “wait out” police to avoid arrest, deputies said.

Investigators found Hernandez inside 1317 Prospect Ave. after talking with Rita Gallo-Cabrera, 36, of 4841 SW 29th St., Cabrera was charged with marijuana possession over 20 grams after she was stopped while leaving the Prospect Avenue home, deputies said.

Authorities found 126 marijuana plants, weighting 87.2 pounds total, inside two rooms. Another five pounds of loose marijuana was found throughout the home, deputies said.