RAIDED HOUSE FULL OF 'EYES' MONITORS, LOOKOUT AT ALLEGED DRUG SPOT.

Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer

PALMDALE - Cameras connected to television monitors, a lookout with a two-way radio and a front-door barricade helped protect a drug house raided Friday by deputies, officials said.

Four adults and a 16-year-old runaway girl were arrested in the raid, which netted $400 to $500 worth of rock cocaine - found mostly in the garage - plus car stereos and other items believed to have been stolen and traded for drugs, officials said.

``When deputies made entry, they heard one of the radios say 'They're on the west side of the house' and then he said 'they're everywhere,''' sheriff's Sgt. Kyle Bistline said.

Authorities were tipped to narcotics activity at the house in the 38400 block of Division Street through information received by the Palmdale Career Criminal Apprehension Team, deputies and parole agents who track down parolees who have stopped reporting to their parole officers.

Officials said they don't know how long drugs had been sold at the house.

As deputies and parole agents approached the home just after 6 a.m. Friday, they spotted a man standing a half block away with a two-way radio.

Deputies surrounded the home and kicked in the front door. They arrested the suspected lookout down the street plus three men and the girl at the home.

Small cameras connected to monitors let residents watch the exterior of the house and the street in front, officers said.

Brackets mounted on both sides of the front door could hold a sawhorse as a barricade, to slow down anyone trying to ram open the door.

The residents didn't have time to put the bar in place before deputies kicked open the door, officials said.

Inside the home, deputies said, they found several radios, a DVD player, a car-mounted DVD monitor and a game console, all believed to have been stolen and traded for narcotics. In the garage, which had one of the camera monitors, they found rock cocaine they believed was being prepared for sale, plus a shotgun and marijuana.

``We think they were already open for business,'' Bistline said. ``It's unusual for that early in the morning.''

Deputies also found a police radio scanner and handwritten radio codes that they believe the residents of the home were using to track deputies' activity.

Arrested was Robert Colewald, 54, on suspicion of possession of narcotics, conspiracy and for being a parolee at large.

Timothy Welch, 36, who owned the home, was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy, maintaining a drug location, and possession of narcotics for sale. Olen Rodriguez, 25, was arrested on suspicion of possession of narcotics for sale and conspiracy. Ruben Matute, 18, who officials said was the lookout man, was arrested on suspicion of possession of narcotics for sales and conspiracy.

The 16-year-old girl, who had been reported as a runaway in January, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for burglary.

Greg Botonis, [phone]

gregory.botonis(at)dailynews.com