By Shari Kaplan
The Los Gatos Police Department and agents of the California Department of Justice/Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement's lab team are investigating a Los Gatos man who apparently used his home as a laboratory for manufacturing methamphetamine.
A few minutes before 7 p.m. on July 20, the LGPD received a call reporting an explosion in or around a house located at 16171 Sunray Drive. Responding officers Scott Gudehus and Sam Wonnell spoke to a man at that address who appeared to have chemical burns on his face and parts of his body.
According to police reports, the man told Wonnell and Gudehus the explosion and burns were due to an exploding barbecue in the back yard. He then ran into the house and shut the door behind him, but not before the officers noticed smoke and a chemical odor still coming from the house.
As the officers moved closer to the house, they were overcome by strong fumes and had to retreat, Sgt. Tricia Friedrich said. They notified the Santa Clara County Central Fire Protection District, which responded with several firefighters and a hazardous materials team.
LGPD Sgt. Kerry Harris and officers Leyton Howard and Bill Farina were also dispatched to the scene as backup. Harris and Howard conducted a search of the house, but were unable to locate the burned man, police said. When they were overcome by fumes, they aborted their search and exited the home.
In a neighboring yard, Farina found evidence of a controlled substance. It tested positive for amphetamine. Soon afterwards, the test kit exploded in Farina's face. All five police officers were treated for chemical exposure and released from the Community Hospital of Los Gatos.
According to the police report, the burned man was identified as 32-year-old Robert Harden, whom police believe lives at the house with his girlfriend and several other people. His whereabouts since July 20 are unknown. At press time, the police were still investigating the incident.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, July 24, 1996.
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