Body of 27-year-old found in home amid marijuana growing operation

Mike Miller  —  7/08/2008 4:14 pm

The discovery of the body of a 27-year-old man in his town of Westport home on July 4 led Dane County Sheriff's officials to obtain a search warrant for the house where deputies subsequently discovered a marijuana-growing operation.

The body of Travis S. Khazae, who lived at 6065 Templeton Drive, was found at around 8 p.m. by his father, according to a search warrant complaint filed Monday in Dane County Circuit Court.

Khazae's parents, Charlene and Hamid, had not heard from their son for several days, the complaint says, so Hamid Khazae went to the Templeton Drive address to check on his son. Hamid Khazae saw his son through a window lying unresponsive on a sofa, the complaint says. Hamid Khazae drove the few blocks back to the family home on Cherokee Valley Pass, got his wife, and drove back to the home of their son.

Charlene Khazae used a piece of wood to break glass in a door in the garage, and Hamid Khazae dragged his son outside and tried to revive him, the complaint says.

When Dane County Sheriff's Office Deputy Keith Kelly arrived on the scene, Hamid was striking his son on the chest to no avail. Hamid was pronounced dead by Deputy Dane County Coroner Colleen Little.

Little said Tuesday there had not been a determination of the cause of death for Travis Khazae. The complaint, however, says there were no obvious signs of trauma to the body and the death of Travis Khazae "would not be inconsistent with a potential drug overdose of the deceased."

Deputies, who went through the house when the body was found to make sure no one else was there, saw evidence of a marijuana-growing operation and obtained a search warrant for the house, owned by Travis Khazae.

The seach yielded a large amount of marijuana along with a variety of pills, including three bottles of steroids. Detectives found 125 marijuana plants in the house, three shopping bags with marijuana in them, and several pieces of equipment for a marijuana-growing operation, the complaint says.

They also seized during the raid a computer and cell phone, which may lead to others involved in the growing and distribution of the marijuana.

Travis Khazae was arrested on June 7 for a domestic-related incident, the search warrant complaint says. He was charged with second degree recklessly endangering safety, substantial battery, false imprisonment, battery and disorderly conduct, and was ordered to have no contact with his wife, Ivania Espinosa. The search warrant complaint says Espinosa, 33, has since left the country and returned to her native Costa Rica.

Travis Khazae worked part-time at Ripp's bar in Waunakee, where he had been seen in the past taking pain pills followed by alcohol, the search warrant complaint says.

After being charged with beating his wife, Travis Khazae was ticketed for a hit-and-run accident in June, and has previous convictions for disorderly conduct, battery and resisting arrest, court records show.

Mike Miller  —  7/08/2008 4:14 pm