Pot smoking leads to arrest

Three people smoking marijuana in a car just happened to be driving in front of a car of Sonoma County narcotics officers and a whiff of the smoke wafting out the car window resulted in an investigation, an arrest and a drug seizure, the officers reported.

One man in the car is in custody, wanted on a $1,000,000 arrest warrant from Marin County for marijuana sales, said Sgt. Chris Bertoli of the Sonoma County Narcotics Task Force.

The officers were travelling on Highway 29 up Mount St. Helena Monday in an unmarked car. The driver in front of them was smoking with the window down and because traffic was slow, the officers could smell the distinct odor from the cigarette, Bertoli said.

The officers contacted a CHP officer and the car was stopped.

A search of the car turned up a small amount of marijuana and a postal receipt, stemming from the mailing of a package to Arkansas from the post office in St. Helena.

The officers had the package intercepted at the Yountville Post Office. Inside were three pounds of marijuana. Bertoli said it was worth about $10,500.

Passenger Matthew Craig Edwards, 28, of San Rafael was taken into custody on the outstanding warrant. The other two people were released while Napa County law enforcement takes the case and determines possible charges.