SANTEE : Burglary Search Uncovers Meth Lab

Authorities investigating a suspected burglary Saturday morning stumbled onto what they said was a clandestine methamphetamine lab loaded with weapons and explosive devices at a home in Santee.

San Diego County Sheriff’s deputies first responded to a home on Avis Lane in the east County city, where a woman told them that several items were missing. They traced the stolen property to a house in the 8700 block of Cottonwood Street in Santee, where they found the lab along with numerous blasting caps, weapons and other explosives.

Ronald McDonough, 24, the owner of the home, was later arrested and charged on suspicion of robbery and two counts of burglary possession of an explosive device. He was being held late Saturday on $25,000 bail, authorities said.

Also found at the home were numerous rattlesnakes and scorpions as well as two semiautomatic rifles, two shotguns, several handguns and assorted rifles.