8-Year-Old Found With Marijuana, Parents Arrested

Deputies from the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station have arrested the parents of a boy who was allegedly found with pot at school Thursday afternoon.

The arrests took place after deputies received a call around 2:30 p.m. about the 8-year-boy who attends Good Hope Elementary School just outside the Perris city limits.

“The student admitted to obtaining the marijuana from marijuana plants his father was growing in their back yard,” according to report from Sgt. David Cardoza who serves out of the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station.

Deputies went to the boy’s home in the 21600 block of Pepper Drive in the unincorporated community of Good Hope and allegedly spotted the father in the driveway with multiple marijuana plants in the bed of his truck. At that point, both parents – Rafael and Yadira Lopez, ages 38 and 30, respectively --were placed under arrest and Child Protective Services was called.

Four children at the home were taken by CPS, according to Cardoza’s report.

Yadira Lopez was booked on suspicion of child endangerment, while her husband was booked on suspicion of marijuana cultivation and child endangerment, according to jail records. Both are being held at Southwest Detention Center on $35,000 bail apiece. They are due to appear in court Nov. 13, the records show.