Three Mahanoy City Residents Charged in Marijuana Grow Operation

Three Mahanoy City residents are facing felony drug charges following the discovery of a marijuana grow operation at a West Pine Street home earlier this month.
Ana Polanco Ulloa, 47; Isidro Herrera Hidalgo, 65; and Angel Anthony Colon, 27 — all of Mahanoy City were arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Anthony Kilker on July 23, 2025. Each was released on $50,000 unsecured bail.

According to charges filed by the Mahanoy City Police Department, the trio faces the following offenses:

• Felony: Manufacture, Delivery, or Possession With Intent to Manufacture or Deliver a Controlled Substance
• Misdemeanor: Intentional Possession of a Controlled Substance by a Person Not Registered
• Misdemeanor: Use or Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

The investigation began on Friday, July 18, when a confidential informant provided Mahanoy City Police with photographs of what appeared to be multiple marijuana plants growing in the backyard of a residence at 215 West Pine Street. Borough Police Chief Thomas Rentschler, who led the investigation, later confirmed the plants during aerial surveillance from a nearby vantage point.

During one of the surveillance sessions, Rentschler reported observing a young child in the backyard in close proximity to the plants, raising concerns about safety and exposure.

By July 22, officers noted an apparent attempt to conceal the grow operation with wire and netting across the yard. The following morning, around 7:05 a.m., police executed a search warrant at the property.

Inside the residence, officers recovered 25 marijuana plants from the backyard, three packages of plant material that tested positive for marijuana, synthetic marijuana, a metal grinder, and other drug paraphernalia.

All three individuals present were taken into custody. 

During police questioning, Colon allegedly admitted that he, his mother (Polanco Ulloa), and Hidalgo had been growing the marijuana plants for several months. He stated that the seeds were obtained by his mother and that the plants were being cultivated solely for their personal use — not for distribution or sale.