It was a case of exceedingly bad luck, amazing stupidity, and, perhaps, serious competitive zeal.
A 23-year-old West Miami-Dade man named Reynel Gil was arrested last Thursday after his house was broken into and police discovered 17 pot plants with about nine pounds of weed.
Officers said Gil called police around 3:30 a.m. to report that three men had broken into his family's home, tied up both himself and his mother, and then ransacked the place. It's unclear whether the thieves were competitors or run-of-the-mill home invaders.
Cops arrived to find what they called a "hydroponics lab." They said the pot was worth a combined $36,000. After they found plants in the garage, Gil signed a confession. He then told cops about a grow house at 30 SW 23rd Ave., near Miami Senior High School, where police discovered 20 more pot plants with 62 pounds of marijuana.
Gil was arrested and charged with cultivating and trafficking marijuana. He didn't have a prior criminal record, and the house where he lived belongs to Maria De Jesus Gil and Victor M. Alonso, who have resided there since 2005.
One thing is clear: The young man will be grounded for a very long time, maybe even after he goes to jail.
