Santa Rosa man wanted on drug, weapons charges

Santa Rosa police officers are looking for a man they say may be armed and dangerous, after finding 143 marijuana plants and several rifles Tuesday at his westside home.

Justin James Free, 26, could be driving a silver 2004 Ford Mustang with a license of 5GPL406, said Sgt. Eric Litchfield.

Officers found seven guns at Free’s Kelly Street home, including five rifles. Those included a sniper rifle and two assault rifles. Another of the guns was a pistol grip, short-barreled shotgun, said Litchfield.

Litchfield said anyone who sees Free or knows where he is should call 911.

Narcotics officers began investigating the house two weeks ago after getting an anonymous tip on the city’s drug hotline about marijuana being grown and sold there.

Tuesday, they served a search warrant on the house, on the small residential street off of Jennings Avenue.

They found the plants, as well as 12 pounds of dried, processed marijuana, methamphetamine packaged for sale and $6,000 in cash.

The dried marijuana was worth about $30,000, if sold. The meth could have sold for about $1,200 and if the plants had been processed, they could have been worth about $210,000, he said.

Officers also seized a bank account containing $2,400, Litchfield said.

Free wasn’t at the house and is wanted on an arrest warrant for drug and weapons charges, including dealing drugs while armed and dealing drugs in a school zone.

He is 5-foot-8, 180 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes.