BELLEFONTE — A 30-year-old Philipsburg man is behind bars after police discovered a mobile methamphetamine lab in a car he was riding in. The incident occurred at about 5 p.m. Aug. 25 after police received a call from a concerned citizen about the welfare of two individuals in Bellefonte.
According to police, authorities were dispatched to North Spring Street for a reported health and safety incident after receiving a report about a woman seeming to have an altered mental state. The report also said there was a man in the vehicle who appeared to be unconscious.
Police discovered the vehicle parked on Haupt Avenue and made contact with the passenger, Justin Alexander Tensen, of Philipsburg. Police said Tensen was not breathing because of the way he was slouched over in the passenger seat. Authorities called for an ambulance and reclined the passenger seat, which allowed Tensen to breath more comfortably.
Another officer responded to the scene and made contact with the passenger, Jessica Marie Shay. After initially refusing to cooperate with police, she told authorities Tensen had taken klonopin.
Police said Tensen then started to “awake” and began being belligerent to police. He was forced to the ground and handcuffed by police while they continued their investigation.
A search of the vehicle produced two butane torch lighters and glass containers containing a substance that resembled salt. Also located were a 6.34 ounce can of butane fuel, a glass pipe used for smoking methamphetamines, a coffee cup containing 20 120 mg pseudoephedrine pills and a small electronic scale. A search of the trunk of the vehicle produced a 32-ounce metal can of camp fuel, a 26-ounce container of iodized salt, a 16-ounce bottle of hydrogen peroxide, a bottle of drain cleaner, six AA lithium batteries, rubber gloves, small clamps, rubber tubing and vice grips.
Authorities questioned Tensen about the items and he explained they are all used to manufacture methamphetamines. He told police the items were his roommates and he was planning on disposing of them.
As a result, Tensen was arrested and arraigned on charges of manufacturing illicit drugs and was remanded to the Centre County Jail to await a preliminary hearing. Shay was arrested on charges of driving under the influence and was released.
Bellefonte Borough Police were assisted at the scene by Spring Township Police Department and the Pennsylvania State Police.
