2000 marijuana plants found near Steinbeck Elementary School

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A huge pot bust in West Central Fresno took place just down the street from an elementary school on a busy, residential road.

The land owner tells us he found out about the huge marijuana grow operation in his backyard just this morning as deputies raided his backyard. The combat veteran who says he served time in Afghanistan is angry the so-called farmers betrayed him.

"I've seen it on TV on the news and then for it to happen right there in your backyard," said the land owner.

Tractors and trailers tearing through this dense jungle-like field. It's how this man found out people renting his property were criminals.

"I don't use the land because I don't know how to farm. And they ask is it okay that we come out farming and stuff?" said the land owner.

The land owner didn't want to be identified. But says people who claimed to be farmers asked to rent his land to grow vegetables. They'd cut him a small percentage every month, but he had no idea they were using the field to grow illegal drugs.

The Fresno County Sheriff's Office pushed this to the top of their long bust list once they found the grow that's just minutes from Steinbeck Elementary School.

"As soon as we found that out and knew where it was we knew that it needed to be eradicated immediately," said Fresno County Sheriff's Deputy Chris Curtice.

Neighbors we talked to say they could smell the skunk-like fumes coming from the farm, but the land owner claims he had no idea what was taking place on his land.

There were roughly 2000 plants found in the field. The landowner was home and could face citations from the county for having marijuana on his property, even though he says he didn't grow it himself. Charges for the suspected pot growers are still pending while the case is under investigation.