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Fight Inside Livermore Taco Bell Leads To Pot-Growing Arrests

LIVERMORE (CBS SF) -- Two men were arrested Sunday afternoon following an assault at a Livermore Taco Bell, which led to the arrest of two others who were allegedly growing marijuana in their apartment, police said.

Police responded to a call of multiple men involved in a fight inside the Taco Bell at 985 E. Stanley Blvd. at 1 p.m.

Witnesses and the victim identified the suspects as 21-year-old Denzel Green and 20-year-old Jose Serrano and said they walked into the Taco Bell and attacked the victim unprovoked, police said.

During the attack, Green allegedly picked up a chair and struck the victim in the upper torso. As he lifted the chair again to strike the victim a second time, he hit Serrano in the head, causing him to fall to the ground and bleed from his head, police said.

After Serrano regained his footing, he and Green fled the Taco Bell.

Officers discovered that Green and Serrano went to an apartment at 975 Murrieta Blvd., which was being used by Michael and Andrew Bartow. Police found the pair and detained them.

Serrano was transported to Valley Care Hospital with a head injury, police said.

Green and Serrano were arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and booked into Santa Rita Jail.

The victim in the assault had minor injuries.

While inside the apartment, officers found evidence of marijuana cultivation and drug use in plain view, according to police.

Officers determined the Bartows had converted three of the bedrooms into marijuana cultivation rooms, police said.

City engineers deemed the apartment unsafe and uninhabitable due to the manipulation of the electrical system.

Additionally, evidence suggests Andrew and Michael Bartow fraudulently obtained cannabis documents to hide the fact they were growing marijuana for profit, police said.

Police also allegedly found firearms, methamphetamine, and evidence of oxycodone and heroin use.

Michael and Andrew Bartow have been arrested for the firearms violation and additional drug violations, police said.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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