A Willowick man was arrested by Mentor Police Monday evening and charged with trafficking marijuana.

The incident began when an officer pulled over a car for having a loud exhaust on Route 306 near the intersection with Culver Boulevard, Mentor Police Sgt. Richard Slovenkay said.

When the policeman approached the car, he saw the front-seat passenger -- 18-year-old Wesley Lucas -- trying to hide something beneath his seat, Slovenkay said.

When the officer reached the car, he could smell marijuana, Slovenkay said. Additionally, he saw the object that Lucas had was a stuffed frog backpack.

When the officer checked the backpack, he found seven baggies of marijuana inside that were packaged for sale, Slovenkay said.

Lucas was charged with a count of marijuana trafficking and possession of criminal tools. In this specific case, the "criminal tools" refer to the stuffed frog backpack.

Lucas faces a fourth-degree felony -- a more serious charge than usual for selling that amount of marijuana -- because one of the passengers in the car was a minor, specifically a 16-year-old girl, Slovenkay said.

Lucas was arraigned Tuesday morning in Mentor Municipal Court. Judge John Trebets bond was set at $15,000, which was not posted.

Lucas's next court hearing is scheduled for Oct. 29.