Person of interest sought in pot grow

(KRQE) Torrance County, N.M - Torrance county sheriff's investigators are seeking a person of interest in connection to the massive pot plantation discovered last month in the Manzano mountains.

Two hunters say they stumbled upon the plantation near the Fourth of July Campground on September 17th. They say they were immediately met by four men with assault rifles who began shooting at them.

The men escaped without being shot.

Deputies followed the gunman by helicopter but lost them when then ran into the wilderness. They later recovered 141 marijuana plants from the property.

The Torrance County Sheriff's Department has now named 32-year-old Joseph P Hazle as a person of interest. Sheriff Heath White says Hazle owns the property where the marijuana plants were found and is the registered owner of several vehicles found on the property.

White says deputies have been actively searching for Hazle since the bust but have been unable to locate him.

They say information they've received tells them the gunmen and others involved have fled the country, likely to Mexico so it's vital they speak with Hazle.

"There are a lot of questions that need to be answered by him." says Sheriff White