Crime & Safety
Meth Lab Found in Freemansburg Basement, Police Say
Warrant service at Freemansburg home allegedly turns up a surprise: 'a large quantity' of methamphetamine-making materials.
Police serving a warrant Tuesday morning at a Freemansburg house allegedly made a surprise discovery that was not the subject of the warrant—a methamphetamine lab in the basement.
And the son of a man who police say allowed them to look around the house at 705 Lockhouse Road has been charged with operating it.
The son, Mark Patrick Santos, 32, also was charged with having a stolen firearm—a Ruger model, court records say.
Once the lab was found, police were assisted by the state police Clandestine Team.
Freemansburg Patrolman Jonathan Itterly writes in a criminal complaint that borough and Bethlehem Township police were assisting constable Gregory S. Norton and had come to the house around 10:47 a.m.
They were looking for a man not identified in the complaint, although Itterly says police later found him inside. The complaint does not say why they were looking for the man.
Police encountered Santos’ father, Mark V. Santos, who rents the house. The complaint does not identify the house’s owner, but online county property records say the owner is Letitia A. Raub of Kodiak, Alaska.
The father said he wasn’t sure if the man named in the warrant was inside but said it was fine for police to look around for him. While looking for the man, they found the alleged meth lab in the basement, the complaint says.
Police obtained a separate warrant, and with the help of the Clandestine Team, allegedly found a “large quantity” of meth-making materials, equipment and controlled substances. Some of the items included Drano, liquid fire fuel, broken-open lithium batteries and salt.
They also found the Ruger inside Mark Patrick Santos’ room, the complaint says, and he was charged with operating a meth laboratory, receiving stolen property, causing or risking a catastrophe, and three counts listed under “prohibited acts.” All the charges except for one “prohibited act” count are felonies.
Mark Patrick Santos was arraigned at 10:45 Tuesday night by on-duty District Judge Robert Hawke of Lehigh Township and committed to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $150,000 bail.
