OGDEN, Utah — An Ogden man called police after he found out his roommate was cooking methamphetamine in the oven.
On Friday, Ricky Haws' roommate went to cook something in the oven they shared when he found a liquid inside the appliance. After the roommate took the liquid out of the oven, Haws told him "Don't take that out, I'm cooking meth, don't call the cops."
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The following morning, the roommate awoke to the smell of a chemical burning and the oven beeping. The oven was turned on and a milky-white liquid was inside.
The roommate went outside and called police.
One of the officers who arrived at the house in the 500 block of 29th Street was able to look into Haws' bedroom through an open door and saw beakers, glassware, pipettes, funnels and methamphetamine pipes, according to the police report.
Haws told the officer he was "distilling alcohol," but would not let anyone in his room until he was told police would obtain a warrant to search the house.
After being let inside the room, the officer found the items he previously saw from outside, along with a notebook with chemical formulas.
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Haws said he was not cooking meth, but was attempting to make his own alcohol. He then changed his story, telling police he was attempting to remove iodine from meth that he smokes.
According to police, Haws said that he is not a chemist, but took a college course in the subject. He also claimed to have only been experimenting for a week.
Haws was arrested and charged with operation of a clandestine laboratory and possession of drug paraphernalia.
