Man arrested after home almost catches on fire while making meth | News

JONESBORO, AR (KAIT) – A man is behind bars after almost setting
a home on fire, while cooking methamphetamine.

According to the Jonesboro Police Department incident
report, dispatch received a call on Thursday night around 7:18 p.m. that odors
consistent with making meth were coming from a red brick house in the area of
Race Street and Promise Lane.

When officers arrived on the scene, they discovered the odor
was coming from a home located at 3801 Race Street. After knocking on the door
of the home several times, Officer Owen Smith says Keith Baker and Shawn
Griffith opened the door for officers.

As the officers spoke with the two men, Officer Smith
reports that odors and smoke were coming from inside the residence. Smith says
while looking inside the front door, he could see a fire with large flames in
the kitchen.

Smith informed the other officer and suspects of the fire
and went to his patrol car to retrieve his fire extinguisher.

When Smith went into the kitchen, he found that it was a pot
on the stove that was on fire and put it out. While making sure the fire was
out, Smith noticed what appeared to meth in a coffee filter between the stove
and the sink. The substance was taken from the home and tested positive for meth.

At this point, officers detained Griffith and Baker and
separated the two men.

According to the incident report, Baker was cooperative and
told officers were they could find the items that were used to make the meth.
Baker said those items were washed and hidden by Griffith when the officers
were knocking on the door.

Baker told police that Griffith originally came to the home
to buy meth from him. But when Baker told Griffith he didn't have any meth,
Griffith began to make some in the home.

When officers spoke with Griffith, he denied knowing
anything about meth being made. In the incident report, Officer Smith says that
it was apparent that Griffith was lying.

Officers arrested and charged Griffith with possession of a
controlled substance (methamphetamine).
He is currently in the Craighead County Detention Center. He is also being held
on an arrest warrant from the Searcy Police Department.

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