Man arrested in grow house

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) -- A man has been arrested after police discovered a grow house.

According to officials, they received a tip about a grow house along Southwest 15th Street in Fort Lauderdale.

Metro Broward Drug Task Force obtained a search warrant for the home and discovered homeowner 34-year-old Alfonso Demmay inside. Authorities said he tried everything to conceal the smell of marijuana. "I'm surprised really," said a neighbor who lives in an efficiency and never smelled anything suspicious.

The plants were discovered behind a fake wall along with a special system to filter the smell. "As far as getting into the actual room, it was a very small area, and we actually had to move some items aside to find the trapped door to go inside where the actual grow was," said Metro Broward Drug Task Force Commander Don Harris.

About 94 marijuana plants were taken into police custody and were put into evidence boxes.

Neighbors said they did not suspect anything. "There were quite a few times that cars would pull up. They wouldn't be there long, and then they leave," said Kathleen Roland. "I never really thought anything of it, I just thought they had a lot of friends."

Demmay was arrested and has been charged with distributing and cultivating marijuana. He is being held at the Broward County Jail.

The plants have an estimated street value between $200,000 to $300,000.

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