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Breaking Bad Wannabees: Active Meth Lab Found In Taco Bell

Sumner Park Contributor
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When police arrived to a Taco Bell in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Tuesday, they discovered that some of the employees weren’t cooking up burritos and gorditas at the Tex-Mex chain. Instead, they found an active meth lab with ingredients used to manufacture the drug.

It looks like the franchise failed to mention that Coleman fuel, lye and drain cleaner were components in the mysterious 12 percent of its meat, which was recently unveiled upon popular demand. (RELATED: NOW TRENDING: Taco Bell Reveals What Is In Their Meat)

Or maybe this just explains its $1 menu, “to give consumers more of what they want for a buck.” (RELATED: Price Wars: Why Taco Bell Is Introducing a $1 Menu)

After a call to the police earlier that day reported two suspicious men outside the fast food restaurant, authorities found 31-year-old employee, Christopher Matous, outside with a peeled lithium battery — an ingredient used to cook meth — near his feet.

Matous really embraced the slogan “live más,” as he defended his intention for making the meth was to “stay high all the time.” Officials also claim to have found two grams of meth at the scene.

Nevertheless, his excuse didn’t cut it with authorities, and he was charged with conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine and several possession charges. Matous’s partner in crime, 56-year-old Kent Jerome, was also charged with conspiracy to manufacture meth.

Police have not clarified if the restaurant was used to actually cook the meth, or if it was only used as a site to transport the drugs. Regardless, the restaurant has been closed since the findings and will continue to be investigated and decontaminated.

“At this time there is no evidence that there is a health risk to the public,” Pramod Dwivedi, health director at the Linn County Public Health Department, said.

Signs on the Taco Bell drive-through state that the restaurant is temporarily closed.

“Both we and our franchisee find this completely unacceptable,” Taco Bell said in a statement. “Although the suspicious items found in the restaurant were not used in the kitchen, the employee has been terminated and our franchisee is considering pressing criminal charges.”

“The restaurant will reopen after it has been sanitized and inspected by the Health Department,” the company said.

Tags : taco bell
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