Man arrested after complaint about package

A local man who complained about receiving an empty package from a postal delivery company was arrested after authorities said they found 311 marijuana plants and 30 pounds of processed marijuana at his home.

Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office deputies showed up at John M. Fildes’ residence, 3101 Cunningham Lane, south of Fort Dick, to deal with a report of stolen property last Thursday about noon, said sheriff’s Sgt. Steve Morris.

“It appears it was a package that had been delivered and the contents of the package were missing,” said Morris. “Consequently law enforcement got involved to investigate.”

When they arrived, officers could smell a strong odor of marijuana, Morris said.

They requested Fildes, 27, show them his garden and Prop 215 medical marijuana card, Morris said.

Fildes denied there was any marijuana in the residence and didn’t have a card, so the officers “froze his house” until they could obtain a search warrant, Morris said.

As part of “freezing” someone’s home, authorities are able to detain an individual, prevent anyone from leaving or going into the home and do a walk-through to ensure no one else is home, though they may not gather evidence, Morris said.

There have been only a couple of times in the past 24 years that authorities haven’t been able to secure a warrant for a house they “froze,” Morris said. In those instances, the house is released back to the owner without a search.

The measure is taken for officer safety purposes after finding probable cause that a crime has been committed at a property, Morris said.

“You have to be able to outline your reasons,” said Morris.

After a search warrant was obtained at about 3 p.m., authorities found a cache of plants produced by a “very, very sophisticated system,” Morris said.

The grow operation was managed by a computer that regulated lighting and the flow of nutrients to the plants, he said.

“All he had to do was make sure the electricity was on and push the buttons,” said Morris.

It appeared the house was purchased for the purpose of cultivating marijuana, Morris said.

There was little else in the home other than basic essentials in the refrigerator, Morris said.

“It just appeared (Fildes) was pretty much camped out while he was working,” said Morris.

The home was purchased last summer and authorities are still seeking its owner, who they believe is a Southern California resident, Morris said.

Fildes was arrested on suspicion of possession of marijuana for sale and cultivation of marijuana.

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