Peabody police destroy patch of marijuana plants near cemetery

PEABODY – While investigating an armed robbery Wednesday, Peabody Police stumbled upon an area near Oak Grove Cemetery that was blooming with marijuana plants.Detective Peter Olson said the State Police Air Wing was assisting the department in locating the suspect, when a trooper spotted the small growth patch near railroad tracks by the cemetery and Winona Street.Thursday, Olson said the Peabody Police Narcotics Detectives and patrol officers checked the area out, while riding all terrain vehicles, and destroyed the marijuana. In all, four plants were found, approximately 4 feet in height. Three of the plants were in buckets, while the fourth was planted in the ground. A shovel and several water bottles were also found.Olson said the plants were still in the growth stage and were about one to two months away from maturity. If harvested, each plant was said to have yielded up to one pound of marijuana, worth an estimated street value of $2,000 to $4,000 per plant.”The Peabody Police Narcotics Unit has periodically done flyovers with the Massachusetts State Police and National Guard looking for marijuana grows in the city’s wooded areas,” said Lt. Scott Richards.Police say the marijuana did not have the sophistication or irrigation typically seen in a large commercial-sized grow patch.In regard to the robbery, Olson said additional witnesses have come forward and further information has been obtained related to the vehicle and the suspect description. The 58-year-old victim said he was robbed outside of the Sovereign Bank at 535 Lowell St. The suspect was described as a light-skinned male, 5-feet, 8-inches tall.The incident remains under investigation, however, police do not believe it was a random act.The victim was transported to North Shore Medical Center for a head injury.