San Diego
A Mission Hills man is scheduled to be arraigned today after police found a flammable methamphetamine laboratory in the basement of his apartment.
Steven Guthrie, 33, was being held Wednesday in lieu of $100,000 bail on suspicion of manufacturing narcotics, a jail spokeswoman said.
On Tuesday, San Diego Police Narcotics Task Force officers seized a large flask containing four gallons of chemicals heating in the first stage before becoming the liquid form of methamphetamine, Sgt. Alan Truitt said.
Officers also seized three grams of the drug in its powdered form and equipment to manufacture the drug, Truitt said.
The lab was discovered in a basement by a landlord, who, at Guthrie’s request, was performing repairs at the two-story apartment building in the 1200 block of West Redwood Street.
Truitt said the lab, which was nestled near a crawl area, had an elaborate ventilation and filter system. It is believed to have been able to produce 8 to 10 pounds of the powdered form of the drug every three days, with an estimated street value of $170,000.
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