An arrest in Manchester highlights the risks run by anyone who pursues a criminal lifestyle.
Police were flagged down by a resident claiming to have seen a suspicious man at her home. The lady stated that several valuable items were missing and police called for backup – the idea was to catch the burglar if he was still in the neighborhood.
It was during this sweep of the area that officers talked to Arthur Fontaine, 32. The cops just wanted to know if he’d seen the man they were looking for. During the chat, the officer noticed “several plants in Mr. Fontaine’s tomato garden” that looked suspiciously like marijuana. According to the report, the officer noticed other things that made him think contraband might be on the premises (these observations were not specified).
Based on this, police obtained a warrant to search the property. They found a marijuana grow operation in the basement of Mr. Fontaine’s house, along with guns and items used in the cultivation operation. 95 plants were seized although it wasn’t mentioned how many were in the basement and how many were in the garden (or even if the ones in the tomato patch were marijuana or tomatoes).
A few surprises here. If you have weed growing in your backyard, why would you talk to the cops where they can see it? Do you just forget that the police, while looking for another criminal, will be happy to bust you as well?
The burglar? Got away. The grower? Arrested.
One wonders at the risks people take when they embark on the wrong side of the law. But, apparently, marijuana growers aren’t master criminals. Maybe you have to get into burglary before you learn about avoiding the police.
