Accused robbers stash dead partner in U-Haul after pot farm heist, California cops say

A tip about a body inside a U-Haul truck led to the arrests months later of two men accused of staging a heist at an illegal marijuana farm, California authorities reported.

San Francisco police discovered the body of Alexander Licona-Romero, 21, of Oakland in a U-Haul truck in August, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office said in a Dec. 19 news release.

An investigation revealed that Licona-Romero had been killed during a robbery at an illegal pot grow in the Berry Creek area of Butte County, deputies said.

Butte County detectives discovered Licona-Romero and two other men traveled to the Berry Creek farm from the Bay Area to commit an armed robbery, officials said.

Licona-Romero was shot during the robbery and died, detectives said. His partners brought his body back to San Francisco in the U-Haul and one called police to notify them about his body.

In November, authorities arrested Harold Rodriguez-Blanco, 24, of Oakland on charges of attempted robbery, kidnapping and false imprisonment, deputies said.

That same month, authorities arrested Graciela Buenrostromendoza, 31, of Modesto on the same charges following a search of his home, deputies said.

The two men are accused of planning and executing the robbery in which Licona-Romero died.

Additional arrests are expected, Butte County officials said.

Detectives ask anyone with information to call 530-538-7671.

Butte County is about 80 miles north of Sacramento.

This story was originally published December 21, 2023 at 5:57 AM with the headline "Accused robbers stash dead partner in U-Haul after pot farm heist, California cops say."