A Redmond man was arrested Tuesday after police say he tried to rob an industrial hemp farm, mistaking the hemp for marijuana.

The owner of the farm in the 500 block of NE O’Neil Highway called the police at 12:25 p.m. Tuesday saying he were holding two trespassers at gunpoint after confronting them on their licensed industrial hemp farm. Mitchell Bruce Ballard, Jr., 31, of Redmond allegedly fled in his truck before sheriff’s deputies arrived.

An Oregon State Police trooper saw the truck leaving the property and pursued him for several minutes. Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies and detectives located Ballard and a woman near the Negus Landfill transfer station and after a short foot pursuit, detained Ballard. The woman remains at large.

Police say Ballard and the woman entered the hemp farm with the intent to steal what they believed was marijuana. Industrial hemp is a variety of the Cannabis sativa plant, but does not have the impairing effects of marijuana.

When confronted by the property owners, Ballard threatened them with a weapon, according to the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office. The property owners lawfully defended themselves with guns and tried to detain Ballard and the woman.

Police say Ballard crashed into the property owners’ vehicles when he fled, causing substantial damage.

Ballard was jailed in the Deschutes County jail on suspicion of attempt to elude, first-degree robbery, reckless endangering, criminal mischief, criminal trespassing and failure to perform the duties of a driver.