11 Garbage Bags Full of Pot Found During Welfare Check on Hercules Golf Course

An officer conducting a routine security check at a golf course in Hercules intercepted a car carrying nearly 250 pounds of marijuana on Wednesday, police said Thursday.

An officer on patrol was performing a security check around 2 a.m. at the Franklin Canyon Golf Course and noticed a van parked in an empty parking lot.

The officer found a lone occupant, later identified as Richard Vanhorn, 44, of Las Vegas, sleeping in the van.

The officer knocked on the window but didn’t get a response, so police said the officer checked the vehicle’s doors and found the side door unlocked.

Police said he opened the door of the car to check on the welfare of the occupant. Vanhorn woke up and reportedly told police he was from Las Vegas and was just sleeping, police said.

The officer saw a glass pipe in the car and police said a subsequent search revealed 11 garbage bags containing packaged marijuana.

Police said each garbage bag held approximately 22.5 pounds of marijuana, for a total weight of 247 pounds with an estimated street value of $700,000. Vanhorn was arrested and booked in the Martinez Detention Facility, police said.

By Bay City News

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