Police Find Portable Meth Lab During Attempted Burglary Pursuit

What started out as a call about an attempted burglary turned out to be a discovery of drugs and materials to make methamphetamines in a bookbag police say belongs to a man who had a warrant out in Kent.

Stow Police responded to a call of an attempted burglary at 2359 Graham Rd. Thursday evening around 11:30 p.m.

Someone attempted to force entry through the front door of the residence, according to police. The resident told officers the man left wearing a black, hooded sweatshirt. A K9 unit initiated a track and found a man wearing a red track jacket over a black hooded sweatshirt just a few homes away at 2376 Graham Rd., police said.

When police stopped the man, he said there was "speed" in his backpack, according to police. After identifying the man, police found there was a warrant out from the for Paul Meloy, 30, of Ravenna for a telecommunication harassment charge.

Meloy was transported to the . Police searched his bag after he was arrested and found methamphetamines, "other controlled substances in small quantities" ... and hazardous materials used to manufacture meth. 

"The backpack contained what is described as a portable meth lab," police said.

The Drug Enforcement Agency contracts a company to destroy these materials because they pose such a health risk.

Meloy was charged with two counts of possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, illegal manufacturing of methamphetamines, a second-degree felony, possession of drugs, a minor-misdemeanor and another count of possession of drugs, a first-degree misdemeanor.