Apartment Fire Turns To Meth Bust In Tea

by Jeff Rusack, Reporter
February 26, 2013 4:23 PM


One man is behind bars tonight after emergency crews found chemicals used to make meth in his apartment.
     
Crews were called after a small fire broke out in his Tea apartment. The fire was quickly extinguished and that’s when emergency crews noticed there were chemicals present that are used for making meth.

Tea is a typically quiet town but after what appears to be the making of a meth lab was discovered, some Tea residents are concerned.

 “It's very alarming. You live in this area, you live in South Dakota, you live in a small town, so you're not exposed to this. You're not exposed to this type of behavior and that kind of crime that's happening around here,” said Christina Fridrich.

The apartment located above the China Massage Parlor had what police say were chemicals used for the manufacturing of meth.

And for one mother of five in Tea, any amount of meth in Tea is too much.  

“It's scary. It's very concerning. I'm highly alarmed,” said Christina Fridrich.

A pair of high school students knew there was a small fire early Tuesday but were shocked to hear the ingredients to make meth were found in the same apartment.
 
“I couldn't believe that would be in Tea. We're such a small community. I wouldn't think that there would be a lot of meth labs going on around this area,” said Sabrina Smith

“I think that people are going to be concerned about their children and where they are going to be going out,” said Danika Mammenga.  

And Christina Fridrich hopes that if the 32 year-old man arrested Tuesday is guilty of making the drug in Tea that he's made an example of.
 
“I just hope that they come down on these people hard. I mean I don't want my kids exposed to this what so ever,” said Fridrich.