The Gainesville Police Department wants the person who planted 16 marijuana plants along a trail to come forward.

The Police Department posted on its Facebook page Thursday that an off-duty Alachua County sheriff’s deputy was walking his dog on a trail near an elementary school when he found the pot plants.

The marijuana plants were underneath a bush, but accessible through a small path, police said.

Police said the officers are storing the plants until the “rightful owners can be found.”

Police also left a note where the pot was found that reads, “We have your weed.”

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Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez