Local, State briefs
BY Staff Reports
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
12/11/12 at 3:05 AM
Muskogee police report record meth-lab recovery
MUSKOGEE - The Police Department has recovered and destroyed 292 meth labs so far this year, a record for the city.
Lt. Andy Simmons said the rise in meth-lab discoveries is a result of the department's development of a street team and cooperation with the Muskogee County Sheriff's Office.
Last year, 173 meth labs were discovered, Simmons said. When the unit began tackling meth labs in 2009 - just as the "shake-and-bake" method of making the drug was becoming prominent - 32 were found.
"The amount of addicts and the availability of ingredients have something to do with" the spike, he said.
Since then, two additional officers have been added to the special investigations unit to patrol known hot spots and violent areas in an effort to prevent meth trafficking, Simmons said.
"A lot of crimes are associated with meth," he said. "People break into homes (and) vehicles and beat up others to get money in exchange for the drugs.
"We do this every day. It's a daily battle."
As previously reported in the Tulsa World, the number of meth labs in Tulsa is down this year. Tulsa police had responded to 274 discarded meth labs through Nov. 25. In all of 2011, Tulsa police cleaned up 429 meth labs.
- KENDRICK MARSHALL, World Staff Writer
Muskogee boy, 7, dies of crash-related injuries
A 7-year-old boy who was thrown from a vehicle in a collision Wednesday on the Muskogee Turnpike has died, troopers said.
Christopher Crutchfield of Muskogee was ejected and thrown five feet after the 1995 Chevrolet in which he was a passenger flipped six times, according to an Oklahoma Highway Patrol report. He was not wearing a seat belt, troopers reported.
Tiffany Borovetz, 30, of Muskogee died at the scene, the OHP said.
Christopher; Quentin Chaplin, 23; Dillion Borovetz, 9; and Jordan Borovetz, 13, were transported to St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa in critical condition. Clara Chaplin, 42, was admitted to St. John Medical Center in Tulsa, troopers said.
Christopher died Sunday, the Highway Patrol reported.
- AMANDA BLAND, World Staff Writer
Man cutting barrel is killed in explosion
MIAMI - A Quapaw man died Sunday after he cut into an empty 55-gallon barrel, setting off an explosion, officials said.
Troy Howard Thompson, 43, died about 10 a.m. at his home from massive head injuries, said Ottawa County Sheriff's Detective Derek Derwin.
He said Thompson was using a plasma cutter to open the barrel. A plasma cutter is similar to a cutting torch.
"The barrel was empty, but the lid was crimped down," Derwin said. "There was an oily substance on the rim of the lid, and it ignited."
The substance on the lid of the barrel was not known.
Thompson had successfully cut two other barrels, he said.
Neighbors heard the blast and summoned help, Derwin said.
- SHEILA STOGSDILL, World Correspondent
