Neighborhood Complaints Lead Police To Drug Lab Bust
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Sacramento neighbors fed up with a problem house in their neighborhood are finally getting some relief.
This after Sacramento police make a drug lab bust on a home off 23rd and X Streets Tuesday, arresting two people and citing several others.
"It's satisfying, but I'm upset it took so long," said next-door neighbor Don.
For neighbors in this midtown neighborhood, this bust couldn't have come soon enough. Containers filled with gallons of caustic chemicals were found in the basement of the home.
"It looks very toxic, most of that stuff I'm sure it's flammable," said neighbor Ruben Reyna.
Reyna said he's seen suspicious activity at this home for quite some time.
"People just coming in and out, a lot of people in there," said Reyna.
Neighbor Don, who didn't wish to use his last name, said he's one of many neighbors who have been complaining about the home for over a year.
"It's been a known problem, and the neighborhood has kind of rallied together, were fed up with it," he said.
Don was home at the time of Tuesday morning's raid.
"It was about 7 a.m. when swat rolled up, busted through the front door," he said.
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Police are trying to determine if the drug being manufactured was DMT, a powerful psychedelic sometimes known as "business man's LSD," a drug not commonly seen on Sacramento streets.
Sgt. Greg Galliano with Sacramento PD's POP team, a specialized group that handles neighborhood complaints, said even he was surprised at such an elaborate lab in the basement.
"There was a definite chemical odor which gave us some concern, and told us we needed to move to fresh air," said Galliano.
Neighbors wanted to know why it took so long for police to respond to community complaints.
"It takes time for us to investigate it, and to generate probable cause, and get evidence to even get a search warrant," said Galliano.
The house has been red-tagged and shut down due to dangerous conditions and those living in the area are just relieved police made the bust before someone got hurt.
"I'm glad that they're making an effort to make it better," said Reyes.