2 more charged for meth
SUMMIT TWP — Two more people — a couple with four young children — are charged with running a methamphetamine lab out of a mobile home where the family lived.
Edward P. Halagich, 44, and his girlfriend, Jessica L. Kidd, 33, turned themselves in Monday to state police on a list of felony and other charges in the case.
Troopers with the police vice unit last week arrested James C. Kidd, 19, Jessica Kidd's brother, after a tip led them to the alleged meth lab in the single wide trailer on Old East Butler Road.
James Kidd also lives there.
All three suspects are in Butler County Prison on six-figure bails.
Vice officers went to the home July 8 to check out a tipster's claim that methamphetamine was being made there.
One of the investigating officers, who did not want to be identified, said police found drugs and other contraband in every room of the trailer.
In addition to suspected methamphetamine, police seized heroin and marijuana. In all, a search of the property turned up nine live marijuana plants.
The investigating officer said that among other evidence gathered from the home were handwritten recipes for making methamphetamine, and shopping lists for chemicals, ingredients and materials to cook up the drug.
Police suspect the trio employed the “one-pot” method, also known as the shake-and-bake method, to make the meth.
That method allows a person to concoct small amounts of the drug in as little as 30 minutes. The method is popular, according to the investigating officer, because the chemical reaction to create the drug takes place in a single container, such as a pop bottle.
The required ingredients include a mixture of potentially harmful ingredients such as ammonia nitrate, which comes from cold packs; lithium, which is stripped from batteries; and sodium hydroxide.
Pseudoephedrine, a decongestant used in Sudafed, and Coleman fuel are other common components.When police showed up, they found four children — ages 9 months to 4 years old — in the trailer. Halagich and Jessica Kidd are the parents of those children, police said.Butler County Children and Youth Services was notified and took custody of the children.The state police Clandestine Laboratory Response Team was called and it took eight hours to clean up the site.Investigators later spoke to James Kidd, who admitted to cooking up methamphetamine, a police affidavit said. He also acknowledged that he owned the unspecified amount of meth, heroin and marijuana that police confiscated from his bedroom.Following James Kidd's arrest, police charged Halagich and Jessica Kidd. Neither of the couple wanted to speak to police and gave no statement, according to an officer.That officer noted that police consider all three defendants “equally responsible” for the alleged meth lab and other drugs found at the home.Each is charged with manufacturing a controlled substance, operating a methamphetamine lab, possession of red phosphorus and other chemicals with intent to manufacture a controlled substance and improperly storing or disposing of chemical waste, all felonies.Additionally, they all face misdemeanor charges of illegal possession of ephedrine, three counts of possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and four counts of child endangerment.Preliminary hearings for the defendants are set for 1 p.m. Tuesday at the office of District Judge Lewis Stoughton in Chicora.James Kidd is in prison on $150,000 cash bail. Halagich and Jessica Kidd are jailed on $100,000 bail, each.Several neighbors said they did not know the accused and were unaware of any potential criminal activity.
Julie McCommon, who lives on the same side of the road, said she heard about the bust after it had happened.Though the trailer is a short distance through the woods from her family's home, they had never heard or seen anything to make them aware of it.“I think it's just terrible that something like that can be going on so close to where you live and you don't know about it,” she said. “I'm glad that they were caught.”One neighbor, who wished not to be identified, said the suspects never caused any commotion along the road.
