Police: Dad Grew Hundreds Of Pot Plants Feet From Kids' Beds

A massive marijuana-growing operation has been busted by members of the Philadelphia District Attorney's Dangerous Drug Offenders Unit and the DEA.

When officials went into the Fishtown home of 41-year old Vinh Quang Nguyen, they found 343 fully-grown marijuana plants, 150 incubating marijuana plants, and three large bags of cut marijuana.

Some of the plants stood 5 feet tall. In all, 500 pounds of marijuana was removed from the Frankford Avenue house. The street value has been estimated at almost a half-million dollars.

Officials also discovered that two small children were living in the house and sleeping within 15 feet of the rooms where the plants were growing.

To mask the odor of the drugs, two large pots of boiling water and fabric softener where found in the house, police say.

Nguyen was arrested on Dec. 6. The two children were at school at the time.

The father is charged with intent to distribute, risking a catastrophe, endangering the welfare of a child and other related counts.

He was arraigned and is being held on $1 million bail.