Grow house bust in Boynton Beach

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. - Police seized 40 marijuana plants during a late-night search of a Boynton Beach townhouse on Wednesday, arresting the suspected grower after a brief chase, authorities said.

Two uniformed officers patroling the Pelican Pointe townhome complex at 510 SW First Street got a whiff of marijuana near the pool area, according to a Boynton Beach arrest report.

One officer reportedly saw Jesse Duncans, 26, smoking the drug in the rear patio of a townhouse. Several marijuana plants were growing in pots on a table next to him, the report said.

When the officers walked up and identified themselves, Duncans allegedly bolted indoors with a handful of marijuana in his hands.

Police opened the patio door and chased him inside, afraid he would try and destroy the evidence, police said. They stopped him in one of the bedrooms, where police saw more plants inside a closet, emitting a "fresh smell of marijuana," police said.

No one else was inside the apartment.

Police arrested Duncans on a charge of resisting police and then returned with a search warrant. Inside they found 40 marijuana plants, weighing 361 grams, the report said.

Duncans also faces a charge of cultivating marijuana. He is being held at the Palm Beach County Jail on a $3,000 bond amount.

Copyright © 2011, South Florida Sun-Sentinel