BELLVILLE, Ohio–Rebecca Booz, 45, and Heather Mayer, 30, were arrested Wednesday after law enforcement served a search warrant that revealed a methamphetamine lab in their residence at 651 Honey Creek Rd.
Booz was charged with felony Illegal Manufacturing of Drugs, felony Illegal Assembly or Possession of Chemicals for Manufacturing of Drugs, felony Possession of Drugs, and felony Child Endangering.
Mayer was charged with felony Illegal Manufacturing of Drugs, felony Illegal Assembly or Possession of Chemicals for Manufacturing of Drugs, felony Possession of Drugs, and three counts of felony Child Endangering.
The Richland County METRICH Enforcement Unit with assistance from Bellville Police Department, Richland County Sheriff’s Office and Seneca County METRICH Enforcement Unit executed a methamphetamine (meth) related search warrant, according to a news release.
Richland County Children Services assisted at the residence as children were in the home and were exposed to the chemical fumes.
The news release stated that the Jefferson Township Fire Department was on standby due to the volatile chemicals involved with meth labs. The chemical fumes produced from a meth lab can be noxious and harmful to anyone who is exposed to them.
The methamphetamine complaints originated from the Bellville Police Department and citizen complaints. A search warrant was drafted and signed by the Mansfield Court Judge Jerry Ault.
Meth specialists from the Mansfield and Shelby police departments and the Richland County Sheriff’s Office processed the scene and neutralized the chemicals and ingredients.
METRICH is a ten county decentralized task force in North Central Ohio whose mission is to improve the quality of life for the citizens by reducing the availability of illegal drugs and weapons through proactive enforcement efforts. The success of METRICH is a tribute to the cooperation and support within the law enforcement community in the METRICH region and to citizens who by assist METRICH in reporting suspicious activity and valuable information. Citizens are encouraged to be proactive by reporting suspected drug activity to the crime hot lines at: 419-522-7463 and www.METRICH.com
