CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / LOS ANGELES
A police hazardous materials team was cleaning a West Los Angeles apartment Sunday after authorities discovered a methamphetamine lab inside the unit.
Los Angeles police arrived at the apartment in the 2100 block of South Bentley Avenue on Saturday to search for evidence related to a homicide investigation in Stanislaus County. That’s when they discovered the methamphetamine ingredients and equipment, Lt. Tony Carranza said. The apartment building was evacuated after the discovery. It was unclear when residents would be allowed to return.
The apartment’s two inhabitants, Mark Mesiti and an unidentified female, were arrested on suspicion of manufacturing narcotics. Mesiti is a suspect in the Northern California homicide but has not been charged in that crime, Carranza said.
Methamphetamine production can produce lethal gases, and its volatile ingredients can catch fire or explode.
-- Garrett Therolf
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