With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Lancaster deputies investigate psychedelic mushrooms being grown in vacant house
Deputies went to investigate a trespassing call at a vacant house and found a man and a woman growing psychedelic mushrooms and stealing electricity to do it, a sheriff's sergeant said early today.
Joseph Scott Jackson, 37, and Angela Coffey, 41, were being held at the sheriff's Lancaster Station jail, Lancaster sheriff's Sgt. Slade Carrizosa said. Their bail was set at $50,000 each, according to jail records.
The "magic mushroom" farm was found in a house on 159th Street East in Lake Los Angeles about 1:30 p.m. Monday, Carrizosa said.
Deputies found evidence of a psilocybin growing operation, as well as several firearms, said sheriff's Sgt. Andrew Sandor.
Sponsored message
The house was about 1,600 square feet with three or four bedrooms, and the mushroom farm was confined to one area, Carrizosa said.
Unlike marijuana cultivation, growing mushrooms requires no special lights.
Deputies from the Narcotics Bureau called in a hazardous-materials team due to the possibility of toxic spores in the house, Sandor said.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
