By Monique Roth
L’Observateur

RESERVE — What began as trip by St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies to serve a bench warrant Friday ended in the discovery of six independent methamphetamine labs inside a Reserve home.

Sgt. Dane Clement said deputies visited a home near Riverside Academy Friday to serve a bench warrant to and arrest David Allen Cole, 34, of 405 Regala Park in Reserve.

The bench warrant, issued July 16, was for failure to appear in court for possession of meth, Clement said.

While serving the warrant Friday, Clement said deputies smelled a chemical odor associated with meth labs and obtained a search warrant for the home.

Once inside the home, Clement said deputies discovered six active, clandestine labs operating, as well as “materials associated with the production of meth.”

Clement said one gram of meth, with a street value of $150, was recovered from the home, as well as marijuana.

Because of the volatile nature of methamphetamine laboratories, detectives called a specialized company to disassemble the laboratory safely.

Cole and Rebecca Scurlock, 30, also of 405 Regala Park in Reserve, were arrested and each booked with six counts of creation or operation of a clandestine laboratory for the unlawful manufacture of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, possession of methamphetamine less than 28 grams, violation of uniform controlled dangerous substances law and possession or distribution of drug paraphernalia.

Cole was also booked on his bench warrant.

Both remain incarcerated. Judge Sterling Snowdy set Scurlock’s bond at $213,000 and Cole’s bond at $243,000.