Cops: Home invasion leads to big pot bust

Daily Delco scribe Bill Bender has a very hard job this morning. He's surrounded by pot right now at the Darby Borough police station.

"There's dozens of plants here in front of me, some of them are budding and some of them are not budding," he reports. "They're in different stages of growth and there's a couple different kinds, possibly. It's very pungent."

Bill is awaiting the start of a police press conference by Chief Robert Smythe regarding a home invasion last night that led to the bust of a large-scale growing operation in the borough.

According to Bill, who spoke with police moments ago, around 9 p.m. last night authorities responded to shots fired when three men busted in to a house on Glen Avon Road.

No one was injured by the gunfire and the three intruders escaped after a car chase with another man who had been inside the house when they burst in, police said.

When police arrived on scene, they said they discovered that the homeowner, Daniel Thomas, had an extensive marijuana growing operation in two bedrooms and the basement. He even had automated growing lights that would move along two-by-fours on a timer as well as a propane heating system, according to police.

"This guy was very, very good at what he did," Smythe told Bill. "I can't believe he didn't burn the house down."

Stay tuned for more from Bill, who I hope will be listening to War's "Low Rider" on his way back to the office.

Update: Read today's Daily News story.