News

Police: 'deplorable conditions' for two children living in a meth lab home

Portside West meth lab 3 Portside West is a mobile home neighborhood off of Beach Blvd. near the intersection at Hodges Blvd. (Gene Wexler)
(Gene Wexler)

Two children under the age of ten were living in a Southside mobile home when police found a methamphetamine lab inside.

Around 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office arrived at 13906 Wheeling Lane in Portside South, a mobile home neighborhood off of Beach Boulevard near the intersection at Hodges Boulevard.

“It became readily apparent to the officers that the children were living in deplorable conditions,” said Sgt. Daniel Kenney with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

“There was no power to the house.  There was spoiled food, garbage and flies everywhere.  And there was also animal feces all over the floor.”

Kenney said the hazardous materials and the equipment of the meth lab were “easily accessible” to the children.

“It was a smaller lab,” he said.  “It was inactive at the time.  There was actual crystal meth residue in the equipment.”

Police conducted a welfare check to ensure the safety of the children who were later turned over to relatives.  The Department of Children and Families were on site.

Two adults living in the home were arrested on child neglect charges and for the production of meth.  Two other adults at the home were arrested only for the production of meth.

Police have not yet released anyone’s identity.

Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department as well as the bomb squad were called to assist JSO, who rendered the residence safe at the time.

I spoke with Peter Buchan, a cab driver who has lived near the home for five and a half years.

He described the family as “good ole’ country folks.”

Buchan said the father’s name is David, and his daughter catches the school bus there every morning.

“Typical young family,” he said.

He said there was a “big argument” in the home about four days prior.

“And that’s probably what brought this disclosure in, probably with their disagreement.  It was quite vocal, and probably through that disagreement is how this came to light.”

Buchan said David had a yard sale at his home about three weeks ago.  That’s when learned David was fired from his landscaping job.

“He inadvertently, through weeding, broke a Freon line on a customer’s air conditioner.  And they drug tested him and he lost his job after six years.”

“And of course when you lose your job in this economy, everything goes south on ya.”

Buchan said another neighbor had told him that day that they could smell “some chemical” in the air.

“It’s funny that all the neighbors knew that this was a meth lab, you know, for a month now,” he said.  “It’s a meth lab, you know, which is not good. Especially when you got school-aged children.”

“It’s unfortunate they do stupid, illegal stuff tryin’ to make a quick buck.”

Buchan said he was still surprised to hear there was actually a meth lab inside his neighbor’s home.

“I’m not surprised for greater Jacksonville area.  They’re just moving out of hotels into private residences now,” he said.

0
Comments on this article
0

mobile apps

Everything you love about wokv.com and more! Tap on any of the buttons below to download our app.

amazon alexa

Enable our Skill today to listen live at home on your Alexa Devices!