PALM BAY, Fla. -- A 26-year-old man who begged a policeman for a ride ended up in jail Sunday after a pat down search yielded marijuana and a candid admission that led the officer to several marijuana plants, according to Local 6 News partner Florida Today.

Joseph Sutton, no address given, was charged with possession of cannabis and cultivation of a controlled substance after a uniformed police officer spotted him walking along Malabar Road at about 5 a.m.

It was not known why he asked the patrol officer for a lift home, officials said.

“Apparently he was desperate for a ride,” said Sgt. Tim Landers of the Palm Bay Police Department.

“But before he could get in, the officer told him he had to pat him down. That’s when the officer found the marijuana on him.”

Sutton, faced with a possession charge, then admitted to the officer that he got the marijuana from a wooded area near the intersection of Fogarty and Angora streets, Landers said.

“They went out to his house and found six marijuana plants. They were just growing out in the woods,” Landers said.

Sutton was arrested and taken to the Brevard County Jail in Sharpes.

The marijuana was removed from the location after a thorough search, officials said.