OXNARD : Firefighters Spot Marijuana Plants Next Door to Blaze; 2 Residents Are Arrested

Two Oxnard men were arrested Sunday morning after firefighters responding to a fire next door to the men’s home spotted marijuana plants growing in their back yard, authorities said.

Ventura County sheriff’s deputies arrested Richard Howard Johnson, 35, and Jerry A. Thies, 33, on suspicion of possessing marijuana and growing it in the back yard of their duplex in the 3800 block of Sunset Lane in Hollywood Beach, according to a Sheriff’s Department statement.

The deputies and Ventura County firefighters were at the scene responding to a blaze at the duplex next door to the suspects’ home, the statement said.

The fire was ignited when one of the tenants was smoking on a couch, fire Capt. Peter O’Sullivan said. Firefighters got the call about 7:50 a.m. and were able to contain the fire to the building’s second floor by about 8:05 a.m.

The blaze caused about $70,000 in damages to the structure and a $10,000 loss in tenants’ belongings, officials said. In addition, the fire caused about $10,000 in damage to a neighboring building, on the opposite side of where the suspects live, fire officials said.

While firefighters were at the scene, they noticed four marijuana plants growing in Johnson’s and Thies’ back yard, sheriff’s officials said.

Deputies then arrested Johnson as they saw him trying to leave his duplex with a bag that was later found to contain a dried marijuana plant, authorities said.

Thies was arrested when he arrived at the residence about two hours later. The two men were being held at Ventura County Jail late Sunday, with bail set at $5,000 for Johnson and $10,000 for Thies.