Breaking Bad In Jersey: Law Enforcement Shuts Down Alleged Meth Lab, Stunning Unsuspecting Neighbors
WEST ORANGE, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Authorities said there was huge drug bust at a home in suburban New Jersey that resulted in the seizure of $1 million worth of methamphetamine.
As CBS2's Andrea Grymes found out Tuesday, neighbors had no idea what was going on next door.
On a quiet, hilly block with views of the Essex County Golf Course in the distance sits a simple white house. Investigators said it was the site of an enormous methamphetamine facility.
"Oh my gosh. You never know," area resident Kathy Hall said.
Neighbors on Lorelei Road in West Orange were stunned to learn the details of the two-month investigation that came to a head Monday night.
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The Essex County Sheriff's Department said law enforcement raided the home and arrested 23-year-old Brian Chedahackembruch.
Sheriff's detectives, with help from West Orange, Newark, Bloomfield and Irvington police, seized nearly $1 million in methamphetamine, including 4,450 grams of meth in liquid and crystal form, 74 grams of marijuana, narcotics paraphernalia, and bank deposit receipts in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
"We've been hearing explosions like two or three times a night for the last week or so," neighbor Curt Hupp said.
Hall and Hupp from across the street said they are not sure if the noise came from the alleged drug house, but added that was the only thing suspicious they noticed.
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Three vehicles were in the driveway of the white house, but no one was home when Grymes rang the bell. A pile of garbage sat at the curb and a broken fence was visible out back.
West Orange resident and realtor Gloria Perez said the incident does not define an otherwise safe, family-friendly town.
"It's very, very sad that something like this could be happening right here, because this is an awesome neighborhood," Perez said.
Investigators said Chedahackembruch is facing numerous charges, including maintaining a drug-manufacturing facility. They said he's under guard at a local hospital, after complaining of discomfort from a recent medical condition.
Investigators said a second suspect who also lives at the house, 39-year-old Eduardo Martinez, is still on the loose.
