LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — A man and woman from Lancaster County are facing multiple charges after police say they were manufacturing methamphetamine in an East Lampeter Township hotel room.
Tyler Newport, 35, of Lancaster, and Jessica Laurie, 33, of Leola, are charged with felony counts of operating a meth lab, risking a catastrophe, and manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, according to East Lampeter Township Police.
They are also charged with misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person, possession of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance, and possession/use of drug paraphernalia, police say.
The duo is accused of running a meth lab from the second-floor room of an Econo Lodge hotel on the 2100 block of Lincoln Highway East, according to police.
Both had outstanding bench warrants for DUI, and investigators learned they were staying there.
The motel had to be evacuated when officers found the meth lab in operation on Saturday, police say.
When officers entered the room, they discovered drain cleaner, denatured alcohol, camp fuel, cold packs, and several bottles containing a clear liquid, police say. The bottles were connected with thin, clear plastic tubes, according to police.
Officers also found several sandwich baggies containing a white, crystal-like substance they believed to be meth, according to criminal complaint affidavits filed against both suspects.
Several hypodermic needles were also found, along with a small amount of marijuana, the complaints state.
In the room's bathtub, police found a fire extinguisher and two Wawa cups stacked together containing a clear liquid, according to the complaint.
The arresting officer said his training and experience led him to the conclusion that the suspects were manufacturing methamphetamine, according to the criminal complaints.
After arresting the suspects, police evacuated the hotel as a precaution. The chemicals used to make methamphetamine are volatile and pose an explosive threat, police say.
A State Police team was called to the scene to dismantle the lab.
Newport and Laurie are in Lancaster County Prison awaiting preliminary hearings set for Wednesday, according to court documents. Bail for each suspect is set at $250,000.
