Supervisor of two marijuana gardens arrested in connection with death of El Dorado County deputy

There has been another arrest in connection with the shooting death of El Dorado County Sheriff's Deputy Brian Ishmael.

The supervisor of two marijuana gardens in the rural communities of Somerset and Georgetown, Jorge Lamas, was arrested in Yuba City on October 25 by the U.S. Marshals Service. Lamas is a resident of that Northern California town.

Early on October 23, Deputy Ishmael and an off-duty deputy from San Joaquin County responded to a home in Somerset after the occupant said there was a theft. It turned out there were two men in a marijuana garden outside the house and they responded to the arrival of law enforcement with gunfire.

Ishamel was shot twice and died at the scene. The other deputy was shot in the leg and was released from the hospital after surgery.

According to the federal criminal complaint, five hours after the firefight in Somerset a caller identifying himself as “Jorge” called 911. He said that he was at a marijuana ranch and that thieves had started shooting. He said that he was paid to take care of the marijuana ranch but could not give the location of the ranch. When the 911 operator asked for more information, the caller hung up.

On Oct. 25, the U.S. Marshals Service found and arrested Lamas in Yuba City.

Lamas is charged in connection with the two marijuana gardens in El Dorado County - Conspiracy to manufacture at least 50 marijuana plants, manufacture of at least 50 marijuana plants, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. He appeared at the federal courthouse in Sacramento Tuesday and no plea was entered at the hearing. His next court date is for a preliminary examination on November 12. Lamas is detained with no bail at this time.

Three other men were arrested in this case. The two men who were allegedly in the marijuana garden at the time of the shooting have been identified as Romiro Bravo Morales, 22-years-old and Juan Carlos Vasquez-Orozco, age 20. Vasquez-Orozco was shot during the incident and was booked after his release from the hospital on Thursday afternoon.

Vasquez-Orozco was charged with murder and assault with a deadly weapon and Morales was charged with aiding in the commission of a felony.

The third man arrested was the resident of the home where the deputies responded, Christopher Garry Ross, 47. He was been arrested for involuntary manslaughter. It came out during the investigation that Ross had an arrangement with the two men growing the marijuana in his yard. There were approximately 75 plants outside and allegedly misrepresented the actual situation in the garden.