Los Alamitos police investigating death at apparent drug lab

Los Alamitos Police Chief Eric R. Nunez

Los Alamitos Police continue to investigate a call for medical service Saturday in which one man died and another was hospitalized amid a potential drug lab accident in an apartment complex.

Los Al Police spokesperson Hannah Martinez said Monday the case was still under investigation and no further details were yet available in order to “preserve the integrity of the investigation.”

She said authorities called to investigate a scene in an apartment complex near the intersection of Farquhar and Maple in Los Alamitos early Saturday discovered two injured men.

When it was apparent that the men had been injured by a chemical burn, the 8:30 a.m. incident quickly escalated to a hazardous materials incident, she said.
Police responded to the complex and performed CPR on the two individuals until Orange County Fire department paramedics arrived, said Martinez.

Chemicals were discovered in the apartment, Martinez said, and nearby residents were briefly evacuated for their own safety. Also, local streets were briefly closed during the incident for safety and to preserve evidence.

When paramedics arrived, she said one of the men was transported to a local hospital by paramedics while the second individual was unfortunately pronounced deceased at the scene.

“Due to the critical nature of drug labs, Orange County Fire Authority*s Hazmat Team and additional resources were called and rendered the scene safe,” she said.
Moreover, “officers located and seized a sizable quantity of narcotics from the scene,” she added.

Orange County Fire spokesperson Greg Barda confirmed the scene via Twitter and noted the incident was considered a hazardous materials incident as specialists contained chemicals found at the site.

Martinez said the name of the deceased person was not released pending notification of relatives.

There were no arrests and the investigation continues, Martinez said.
The person who was hospitalized was expected to make a full recovery, she added.