Police in New Hampshire stopped a vehicle Thursday night for having defective taillights -- only to discover an apparent mobile methamphetamine lab.
The operator of the Dodge Caravan, 32-year-old Derrick David Hentschel of Manchester, had an active warrant for his arrest for failure to appear in court on a charge of simple assault.
Hentschel was arrested, but he was unable to make arrangements for his vehicle to be removed from the roadside, prompting police to call for a tow truck. Troopers began to inventory the contents of the vehicle for towing purposes, at which time they found narcotics, drug paraphernalia and items that were consistent with the manufacturing of meth.
Authorities immediately stopped the inventory process and applied for a search warrant, which was granted later in the evening. Hentschel's vehicle was later processed and investigators found additional drug paraphernalia and several items related to the manufacturing of meth.
Hentschel was charged with two counts of attempted manufacture of methamphetamine, two counts of possession of a narcotic drug and two counts of transportation of a controlled drug in a motor vehicle.
He was ordered held on $15,000 cash bail pending his arraignment.
