LAPLACE — A local man is facing numerous gun and drug charges after deputies were drawn to his house by the smell of marijuana, authorities said.

While executing a search warrant April 10 on Evangeline Court in LaPlace, St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies saw Allonzo Bolden, 29, outside a neighboring apartment.

Sheriff Mike Tregre said deputies observed Bolden smoking what appeared to be a blunt — a cigar stuffed with marijuana — and smelled the odor of burning marijuana when they exited their patrol unit.

“When deputies approached Bolden, it was evident that the odor was coming from him and his clothing,” Tregre said in a release. “Bolden admitted to deputies that he smoked marijuana and threw the blunt to the ground as deputies approached. Deputies recovered from Bolden’s possession a small amount of marijuana and $1,971.00 cash.”

Deputies saw two cigars, commonly used to roll marijuana blunts, and a white rock like substance believed to be crack cocaine through the open door of Bolden’s apartment, Tregre said.

Based on this observation, deputies obtained a search warrant.

Deputies recovered three handguns, $100 worth of crack cocaine, $30 worth of powder cocaine and $15 worth of marijuana, authorities said.

According to authorities, Bolden took responsibility for the items found in the home. A computer check on the handguns revealed one was reported stolen.

Bolden was booked with possession of marijuana, drug-free zone violation, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, three counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, illegal carrying a weapon with a CDS and illegal possession of a stolen firearm.

The drug-free zone violation was added to the suspect’s charges because of the residence’s proximity to St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church.

Bolden has been arrested 18 times in St. John the Baptist Parish since January 2003, authorities said.

Authorities did not disclose the investigative reasons behind the initial search that brought deputies to Evangeline Court, adding no arrests were made in that case and it is ongoing.