Meth lab ingredients found in vehicle

The sound of glass breaking alerted a Bedford County deputy to what turned out to be an alleged meth lab in a vehicle last week near Wartrace, according to a sheriff's department report released Monday.

Three Manchester men -- John Wayne DeWitt, 30, James Edward Rutledge, 52, and Bill Rich Teal, 39 -- were charged with promotion of meth manufacture. Rutledge and DeWitt were also charged with possession of a schedule VI drug and possession of drug paraphernalia when marijuana was found in their clothing, deputy Benjamin Burris said.

Burris said he spotted the car stopped on a curve on Kellertown Road and, as he neared the scene, it started moving and he heard glass breaking, turned around, and saw several items on the road that were not there seconds earlier.

Following a traffic stop Burris and deputy Cam Ferrell said they discovered a broken Mason jar, a bottle of muriatic acid, clear tubing, Crystal drain cleaner and a bag with empty pseudoephedrine tablet boxes in the road. Those items are used in manufacturing methampthetamine, Burris said.

Burris said he found a bag of marijuana in Rutledge's clothing, was handed a bag of marijuana and hypodermic needle by DeWitt and found two lithium batteries (used in manufacturing meth) in Teal's clothing.

Syringes, another Mason jar, bags, coffee filters and syringes were confiscated from the car, Burris said.

A Shelbyville man was arrested last Thursday night after a marijuana joint was found in his vehicle during a traffic stop, city police said.

John Thomas Anderson, 41, Noblitt Street, was stopped in front of his home after allegedly running a stop sign. He was arrested after a computer check indicated his driver's license had been revoked. A conviction would be his fourth offense, according to police records.

Charges of possession of a schedule VI drug and running the stop sign were also filed.