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Oakland Police Looking For Janitor Who Made Meth At School

Last updated on Tuesday, December 27, 2011

(OAKLAND CITY) - Police at Oakland City are searching for Michael C. Shafer, a 42-year-old janitor at Wood Memorial High School, who they is suspected of making methamphetamine at the school earlier this week.

Oakland City Police Chief Alec Hensley said the meth lab, found Wednesday in an area off limits to students and most staff members, was the first he knows of found in one of the region's schools.

Police obtained an arrest warrant on Thursday charging Shafer with manufacturing methamphetamine. A 2-liter bottle believed to have been used to cook meth was found along with other evidence of meth-making activities inside the East Gibson School Corp.'s main campus, which includes the high school as well as an elementary school. Hensley said the bottle has led officers to believe someone was making meth using what's called a "one-pot" method, which allows for quick production but can easily lead to explosions.

Evidence found at the school indicates the lab was active when students were present, Hensley said. Children could not have been exposed, however, because it was in an area they did not have access to.

The evidence indicated meth had been made in the building only once, Hensley said.

Oakland City police searched the school to make sure no other meth was present.
East Gibson Superintendent Franzy Fleck said students and their parents weren't alerted to the situation because officials felt students weren't at risk.

He said school officials and staff will learn more about drug manufacturing so they can recognize signs of it on site.

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