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Last updated on Sunday, March 18, 2012
(ANDERSON) - Two people were arrested after a meth lab explosion at a motel in Anderson early Saturday.
Just after 7 a.m., managers at the Days Inn in the 5700 block of Scatterfield Road evacuated the premises when they heard the sound of smoke alarms and smelled chemicals burning.
"I shot down the hallway towards the fire extinguisher and we had people out everywhere," maintenance manager Chris Brown said. "My heart was racing and I was a little nervous after that.
Anderson police said Mellissa Ellingwood, 35, and Tracy Price II, 31, both of Anderson, face criminal charges in relation to a meth lab that exploded in room No. 239 at the motel. The heat from the explosion melted the TV and destroyed all of the furniture inside the room.
Motel guest Sheryl Delaplane said she was sleeping minutes before the explosion.
"It's very scary. I've seen so many people here with children and it makes us angry that somebody would come to a hotel and endanger our lives," Delaplane said. '"We were in pajamas. We had flip-flops on. One man didn't have a shirt on. Everybody was very confused."
Det. Joel Sandefur said the explosion was so powerful, it damaged neighboring rooms.
"Just to see the damage, I don't understand how (the suspects) didn't get hurt," Sandefur said.
Investigators said Price and Ellingwood were injured in the explosion, but they ran from the motel.
"Reports were that (Ellingwood) had jumped into a retention pond and swam across, but because of her burns, she didn't get very far," Sandefur said.
Price was rushed to Wishard Memorial Hospital with severe burns. Ellingwood was also burned and hospitalized, then later released into custody of the Anderson Police Department.
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