Napa Police say 8-year-old found sleeping at home near meth lab

 Posted on April 24, 2012 in Dealing with the Police

Police apparently approached two people early Saturday morning at an undisclosed business in Napa. Law enforcement believed the two were under the influence of drugs and placed the two people under arrest, according to the Vallejo Times-Herald.

Somehow, Napa police learned that one of the arrestees has an 8-year-old child, and law enforcement says that they became concerned about the child's whereabouts. An investigation into the child's whereabouts may eventually lead to serious charges for alleged drug crimes.

Napa Police claim that they received "misleading and conflicting information" about where the 8-year-old might be located. Authorities descended on the mother's home after the 2:00 a.m. arrest Sunday and claim to have entered the woman's apartment, possibly without a warrant based upon information reported in the media, to search for the child. Authorities claim that they found the child inside the home.

During the apartment raid, law enforcement claims that they observed chemicals, glassware and equipment that police believe can be linked to the "clandestine manufacture" of methamphetamine. Law enforcement claims that the alleged drug manufacturing lab was located in areas of the apartment that were accessible to the child.

Napa Police claim that officers found evidence of methamphetamine use in the apartment. Police assert that drug paraphernalia, including a meth pipe and a syringe were located somewhere in the private residence.

Police booked the two adults, whose relationship remains unclear, into the Napa County Department of Corrections and each are reportedly being held in lieu of $250,000 bail. News reports do not indicate what charges law enforcement expects the two adults to face in relation to the incident.

Authorities reportedly took the 8-year-old child into protective custody.

Source: Vallejo Times-Herald via contracostatimes.com, "8-year-old found in suspected methamphetamine lab in Napa," April 24, 2012