WEST HAZLETON - A West Hazleton man was arrested after police stumbled on an alleged marijuana growing operation while investigating a Sunday afternoon shooting.

Nixon R. Jaquez, 53, 117 W. 22nd St., was charged by borough police with felonies for conspiracy to manufacture, deliver or possess with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance and theft of services after police said they entered his home to investigate the shooting and found growing equipment.

He was arraigned Monday at 8 a.m. by Magisterial District Judge Rick Cronauer, Wilkes-Barre, according to a court docket, who set bail at $50,000. Unable to immediately post the money he was taken to Luzerne County Correctional Facility, Wilkes-Barre, according to a court docket and awaits a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge James Dixon, Hazle Township. Police said they were informed Jaquez posted bail later in the day.

Officers were dispatched to his home around 3:45 p.m. Sunday after Luzerne County 911 fielded reports of five to 10 gunshots near the home Jaquez rents, West Hazleton police Chief Brian Buglio said. Jaquez only lived in the home for about nine months, according to police.

Officers are still searching for the shooting suspects who were in a tan or gold Honda or Toyota sedan that was missing one rear hubcap. Buglio said police believe the shooters were casing the house before firing.

He also said the shooting was directly related to the growing operation.

The home, which is between Quincy and Penn streets on 22nd Street is in a residential area, about six blocks away from several Hazleton Area School District schools and athletic fields. It's also one block away from a playground on Cindy Street and two blocks away from Route 93, also known as Susquehanna Boulevard.

Police said three males wearing black clothing were seen running into Jaquez's home during the gunfire and upon arrival police said they found shell casings in the street in front of the home, along with bullet impact marks on the home itself.

Arrest papers state Jaquez answered the door when police knocked and said he was unaware of the shooting. Buglio then ordered a "protective sweep" of the home to rule out the possibility of an injured party or the shooter being inside. Multiple people were found in the home but none injured, Buglio said. Six people were taken into custody for questioning.

While inside the residence police smelled marijuana and found the remnants of a marijuana growing operation in the basement, court papers state.

Police said they found insulation, large lights similar to those used for industrial purposes, large black pots, large rectangular plastic bags and a heating system, all of which were consistent with equipment for a growing operation. The bags were stacked near the door as if they were going to be removed from the home, court papers state.

Similar bags were found in plain view, arrest papers state, inside a Ford Transit 250 U-Haul van.

Law enforcement worked early into Monday morning upon obtaining two search warrants, one for Jaquez's home and the other for the U-Haul vehicle on the property.

Police said they found 105 live marijuana plants in the early stage of growth in the basement in a bag which also contained finished marijuana.

Other bags in the basement contained new and used planting soil while the bags in the van contained the same soil, police wrote. Also in the van were black trash bags with the stems of previously harvested mature marijuana plants, court papers state.

Arrest papers state the electrical service panel for the property was also found tampered with so power could be obtained without being charged for the usage.

Crime scene tape was strung around the home Sunday as police investigated with assistance from Pennsylvania State Police Forensic Services Unit, Butler Township police and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.

Over a dozen officers, five of them from West Hazleton, worked on the investigation which began suddenly, Buglio said. Some officers were on their way home for the day when the call for shots fired was dispatched, having just arrested Sean A. Ortiz, 22, West Hazleton, for the alleged knife-point robbery of the borough Pantry Quik convenience store around 10:30 a.m. Sunday, he said.

Police worked on the Jaquez investigation from 3:45 p.m. Sunday until after 4 a.m. Monday when they left the neighborhood for the morning only to conduct interviews with people, including Jaquez at the police station.

And, investigatory work will continue even though an arrest was made. Officers will likely quadruple the time already invested in the case with paperwork, reports and ensuring evidence is tested at a crime lab, Buglio said.

Plus, police plan to secure three more search warrants for other vehicles found on Jaquez's property and they are still looking for the shooter or shooters that led them to the growing operation.

"This is real life. This isn't CSI on TV. These things take time," Buglio said while explaining how involved police work can get. For example, he said, the results of lab testing could take months for officers to receive.

While police were investigating the shooting and growing operation there was a second report of shots fired in the area of 145 Adams Ave., Buglio said. No shell casings or damage was found.

achristman@standardspeaker.com