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The Lake County Sheriff's Office in California said it has opened an investigation into the death of a worker from a permitted cannabis cultivation operation.
On August 21, 2026, an unidentified male dropped off 46-year-old Yufang Lan at Adventist Health Clearlake Hospital in Clearlake, California. She was unresponsive and in cardiac arrest when she arrived at the hospital. She was later transferred to Adventist Health Saint Helena, where she remained in the intensive care unit until she died on August 27, 2026.
Due to the circumstances surrounding Yufang’s hospitalization and death, detectives with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit began an investigation.
During the investigation, detectives learned Yufang had been working at a permitted cannabis cultivation operation in Lower Lake. Detectives also developed information regarding the possible use of illegal and potentially hazardous chemicals at the property.
On August 31, 2026, a search warrant related to the death investigation was served by Detectives from the Major Crimes Unit and Marijuana Suppression Unit, along with members of the Community Oriented Policing and Targeted Restoration (COPTR) Unit and Patrol Division.
Investigators contacted approximately 20 workers at the property. During the search, investigators located approximately 55,069 cannabis plants, 6,000 pounds of processed cannabis, illegal chemicals, two firearms, and approximately 20,000 gallons of contaminated liquid requiring specialized disposal.
Although the property was operating as a permitted cannabis cultivation site, which is regulated and inspected by state and local agencies, the Sheriff’s Office became involved after detectives developed information during the investigation into Yufang’s death that led them to obtain a search warrant for the property.
Due to the amount of cannabis and hazardous material located at the property, additional resources are being used to safely process the scene and properly dispose of the contaminated material.
The investigation remains ongoing as detectives continue investigating the circumstances surrounding Yufang’s death and the activities occurring at the property. The investigation is expected to continue for several months.
Because of the operation's size and complexity, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from several partner agencies. The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, California National Guard, and California Department of Justice for providing resources and personnel to assist with this investigation.
The department is asking anyone with information regarding this investigation or the circumstances surrounding Yufang’s death to contact Sergeant Jeff Mora with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office at (707)262-4224.
