DAYTON, Ohio -- Police in Dayton said officers found a drug operation in the basement of a home while they were making an arrest for a domestic violence complaint.

Officers said they went to the Reading Road home looking for 24-year-old Zachary Gold, after a woman he lived with filed a domestic violence complaint. Officers said that incident allegedly took place about 7 p.m. Sunday night.

The woman told police that Gold threatened her life and she took off with her child. Police said Gold was also gone when they arrived.

Officers said they got another call early Monday morning saying Gold was back at the house. Officers went to the door and said Gold voluntarily let them in. They spotted a loaded shotgun next to the door and they said Gold told them there was a loaded rifle behind a couch.

Officers said there were several other men in the home so they began checking the house. That's when they say they stumbled across a suspicious room in the basement. Police said the room was sealed and heavily insulated.

Police said they smelled marijuana when standing close to the door. Sgt. George Hammann said, "Officers removed the pins on the door, went in and found marijuana plants. About eight to 10 plants that were about two to three foot tall and then an incubation system for twenty smaller plants."

Police removed all of the plants from the basement. Investigators also took lights, transformers and other machinery associated with a large marijuana-growing operation.

Officers took Gold to the Montgomery County Jail where he was booked in on a domestic violence charge and a drug charge. Police said they will talk with prosecutors Monday about filing other charges against him.

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