x
Breaking News
More () »

Large meth bust at 'quiet' Austin apartment complex baffles community

Austin police are reporting that they found nearly 170 pounds of meth in a North Austin apartment that was also being used as a meth lab.

AUSTIN, Texas — Austin police and the Texas Regional SWAT Team found 169 pounds and 14 ounces of meth in a North Austin apartment on Friday.

According to police, they not only found the meth during the search, but also items used to break down, manufacture and prepare the meth for distribution at the apartment located at 8100 North Mopac Expressway.

The meth was found as a liquid solution in three, five-gallon containers in the living room of the apartment, according to police.

RELATED:

Massive meth bust after WilCo I-35 traffic stop

$2.3M meth bust in Fayette County helped by K-9 unit Kolt

Williamson County deputies seize $1.5M in meth, heroin at traffic stop

Police said they also found items in the back bedroom of the apartment during the search including plastic bowls of different sizes, rubber, protective gloves, masks, thermometers, strainers, spackling knives, vacuum bags, a large fan, lighters and a propane heating stove/burner.

Police said four people inside the apartment have now been charged with delivery of a controlled substance. The four people were 34-year-old Osbelia Jimenez-Jaimes, 40-year-old Maria Elizabeth Vallecillo, 41-year-old Julio Caesar Alvarez-Galvan and 41-year-old Juana Elina Valdovinos Garcia.

On Tuesday police said there was no "cook" underway at the time of the seizure, and there were no public safety concerns.

"It appears the apartment was going to be used for a conversion process, but the warrant was executed before that process was started," police said in a statement.

Kevin Ramirez lives at the same apartment complex where this meth bust happened, renting a unit on the floor below, and was home the night this happened. As someone who has lived in the same place nearly five years, he said he's surprised something like this was happening in such a quiet community.

“I just heard a big pop and then heard glass breaking," Ramirez said. "I knew something was going on. I saw lights, too. I’m just perplexed by all this because it’s quiet. There was not a lot of traffic at all that would make someone suspicious that anything was going on. Hopefully this doesn’t happen again."

PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING:

World Redhead Day is May 26! 12 fun facts about red hair

'Yeah, you got it right ... I shot myself,' said man who told Austin police he was injured in a drive-by

Austin man killed after allegedly trying to break into woman's home in Hays County

Before You Leave, Check This Out