San Andres Street, where this occurred
Santa Barbara – The ever-growing trend of freelancers and budding entrepreneurs to join the “work from home” labor force showed its dark side on the night of December 2nd when a 911 Emergency call alerted authorities to a need for immediate medical attention by a man suffering chemical burns and lacerations.
Police photo of the home lab
According to Santa Barbara Police Department spokesman Sgt. Todd Johnson, upon arriving at the City of Santa Barbara residence of 25-year-old Justin Smith, “it looked like he was definitely doing mescaline extraction.” The injuries to Smith were described by Johnson “as a result of some level of explosion when this guy was in there doing whatever he was doing.”
While units of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department SBRCAT task force responded to the scene along with a Department of Justice hazardous materials crew and units of the Santa Barbara Fire Department, the residences adjacent to Smith’s were quickly evacuated while other area residents were urged to “shelter in place” pursuant to very real concerns about the potential for another explosion or fire.
The extraction of hallucinogenics like mescaline, methamphetamine, and peyote generate volatile gases which can become dangerously unstable, particularly when, as Johnson opined, they “are so poorly done.” With that danger in mind, Department of Justice hazardous materials personnel worked through the remainder of the night processing evidence and assuring the safety of those in the area.
For his part, Smith was transported to Santa Barbara County Jail, where was booked on felony charges of chemically processing a controlled substance.
