Meth lab discovered in student housing near BYU

Police in Provo, Utah are looking for a man who may have had a meth lab in his apartment less than a mile from Brigham Young University.

Two of the man’s roommates told KSL that they helped extinguish a fire in the man’s apartment at Riviera Apartments, BYU-contracted housing. The man told them he spilled rubbing alcohol by accident.

After the young man left, the roommates picked the lock to the man’s bedroom to check the extent of fire damage and found “suspicious glassware and chemicals” and called the apartment managers, according to KSL.

Police, who responded with the fire department and DEA personnel, confirmed Saturday night that a fully functioning meth lab was found inside the apartment.

“There were chemicals, bottles that he’d drilled holes into and had tubes coming out. There was trash everywhere,” Roommate Jonathan Alder told KUTV.

“Of course, this is very shocking, you would think here at BYU we are in a safe environment,” BYU student Jacob Molnar told FOX 13. “We all agree to live the honor code, but there are sometimes people who do dangerous things.”

Police did not release a description of the man and did not confirm if he is a BYU student. However, roommate and BYU student Alder says the man recently returned from a mission.

Another roommate told KSL the man was a BYU student who traveled often to Salt Lake City for days at a time.

The Health Department quarantined the apartment and the remaining four roommates have been moved.

Contact Kristen DeSilva at kdesilva@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3895. Find her on Twitter: @kristendesilva