Apparent Meth Lab Reported at UCF Apartment Complex
Crime, News, Safety, Videos — By Staff on July 15, 2010 at 11:20 amThe Orange County Sheriff’s Office has released new information to KnightNews.com concerning just how dangerous the meth lab they say was operated by a UCF chemistry major really was.
SEE SLIDESHOW PICTURES OF METH LAB NEAR UCF
READ A PORTION OF THE ARREST REPORT EXPLAINING HOW IT WENT DOWN
“OCSO Meth Lab deputies dawned protective gear and breathing apparatus in this toxic environment,” Lt. Paul Hopkins told KnightNews.com.
UCF chemistry major William Cecil, who turns 22 Friday, was the one to blame, according to the sheriff’s office. In addition to 13 grams of meth deputies found in Cecil’s apartment, he also had a stash of 31 grams of vicodin, 28 grams of pot, and 6 grams of cocaine, Hopkins said.
According an arrest report, Tiffany S. Irizarry, a manager at the Campus Crossing apartments, located a stone’s throw from UCF, called deputies after she got a tip from a resident there were suspicious items inside apartment 1170 at 12024 Royal Wulff Lane.
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Irizarry went inside the apartment and found frozen bottles, paint thinners and a plastic bottle with a handwritten chemical placard and “Methanol” written on side, according to the report.
Irizarry told deputies she and another manager conducted some research about the chemicals, and “realized they could be consistent with the ingredients needed to “cook crystal
methamphetamine” and called the sheriff’s non-emergency line, the report stated.
When deputies arrived a hazmat situation was declared due to a “toxic environment” and 50 residents were ordered out of their homes at about 5:45 p.m.
Sometime after 7 p.m., KnightNews.com crews were on the scene of the Campus Crossing club house where a group of displaced residents gathered with no idea there was a meth lab in their complex.
KnightNews.com asked a female employee of the complex what was going on. At that point, a resident screamed, “It’s a gas leak!”
The employee appeared to nod in confirmation, didn’t deny it was a gas leak, and then told residents she thought it would be about be about an hour until everything cleared up and said she’d try to bring some bottled water out by the pool until things calmed down.
Unfortunately for residents, the entire scene didn’t clear until 2:30 a.m., several hours later, according to the report.
Eventually, most tenants were put in other apartments or hotel rooms for the night by the management, according to OCSO.
Although this all played out in OCSO’s jurisdiction, UCF police were called to the scene due to the crime scene’s proximity to UCF and because many of the suspects were UCF students.
When all was said and done, only one UCF student, Cecil, faced drug charges, and his roommates were deemed not to be responsible.
A 25-year-old friend of Cecil’s, Steven Brian Bardill, was however arrested when deputies found about 50 pills of oxycodone on him, according to his arrest report.
READ THE OCSO REPORT ABOUT THE CAMPUS CROSSING METH LAB ON NEXT PAGE:
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11 Comments
Skate Longboards
Let me clear some things up for everyone. THere was only one person arrested for the Meth lab “Cecil” the other two were just there. they had nothing to do with the lab. And this isnt the first raid to happen in here, there have been others. The apartments managers had to say it was a gas leak due to the chemicals found. The three roommates that moved into this apartment had nothing to do with this they just moved in two weeks ago. since this is an ongoing investigation that means it must have been going on since before they moved in.
hope that clears some stuff up for everyone.
I don’t get it — the other room-mates aren’t being charged…how was this guy cooking meth without them knowing? He must have not been cooking it in the kitchen then (hot plates in bedroom?), because I’m pretty sure I’d know what’s up if all that sh*t was in the dining room and that pot was on the stove.
Hey last night sucked…but I will say that it was nice to see the workers here late trying to help the best they could…they got soda and pizza for us while we waited which wasnt a lot, but it was something. I saw a few of them here at like 2AM talking to the police still trying to get updates for us. I can’t believe someone would be stupid enough to do this.
This is the first time something like this has happened here…and I don’t think it has anything to do with the complex or rent amount. This guy is a chem major at UCF. He could’ve been living at any of the complexes in the area.
I live in Campus Crossings and this is insane. My personal advice is to not move into these apartments… this is not the first time I have seen dangerous events like this take place. The rent is cheap and there is a reason why!
My boyfriend lives two doors down from the apparent methlab apartment. They evacuated him at 5:00 and now it’s 10:30 and he still is not able to go back to his apartment. The police wouldn’t let him get his car either and he had to call off work. This is ridiculous that because of some idiots everyone else has to suffer the inconvenience.
thank god i am not living here next year. i live on green badger lane but on the part that wasnt blocked off. people are so stupid.
Lex,
The didnt wanna tell me anything either. But from other people that I have talked to that were evacuated it is all happening at a building on Green Bagger lane…. Apparently there were 3 guys arrested for a meth lab… Hopefully the office will tell us something in the morning. I think we all deserve to know what the heck is going on…. I want a refund on my rent this month. I want to move out of here ASAP!!!
I live at campus crossings. Does anyone have any more information? No one will tell us anything.
Ah, that explains the helicopter that was idling here above The Edge.