Suspect shops for extinguisher while meth fire burns
Sarah Muench
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 9, 2007 12:06 PM
The fire that burned his Chandler condominium was bright, but authorities couldn't say as much for the man who caused it by attempting to cook methamphetamine in a toaster oven .
Jonathan Zaletel, 19, was cooking meth in a bedroom closet Tuesday about 7 p.m. in the 1200 block of North Alma School Road near Ray Road when the fire started, authorities said.
He unsuccessfully attempted to put out the fire by tossing water and window cleaner on it. When that didn't work, he decided to head to a nearby Wal-Mart to buy a fire extinguisher.
While he was gone, the condo's sprinkler system engaged and put out the fire. By the time Zaletel returned with the extinguisher Chandler firefighters were on the scene. He was arrested on suspicion of drug manufacturing, drug possession and criminal damage.
Meth manufacturers don't use toaster ovens often, said Sgt. Rich Burden, a Maricopa County Sheriff's Office agent with the County's High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force.
"But what they are probably doing is drying it, and that's really explosive because it has ether in it, brake cleaner, stuff like that," Burden said. "They dry it out so it's not so chunky and muddy-like, so they can snort it."
Deputies found a small amount of meth cooked in Zaletel's condo, said Deputy Doug Matteson, a Sheriff's Office spokesman, adding the man had a smaller meth lab.
"From the look of it, he seems pretty new at it," Matteson said.
Matteson said in terms of stupidest suspected criminal incidents, this was "pretty high up there."
"He took every measure to let his (condo) burn, his neighbors lives in jeopardy to run to a Wal-Mart to grab a fire extinguisher," Matteson said. "When you know the fire department is going to kick the door in no matter what, it wasn't very smart on his part."
Previous Topic
Index
