Man found in Michigan State building with substances used to make meth: Police
Police said they have not located a meth lab inside the academic building.
A man suspected of trespassing in a Michigan State University academic building over the weekend was found with household substances that could be used to make methamphetamine, according to police at the East Lansing campus.
Officers responded to Wells Hall, the school's largest academic building, on Sunday for a possible trespassing complaint, police said. They encountered a man on the fifth floor of the building who was in possession of "numerous bags," according to MSU Police Chief Mike Yankowski.
The bags contained "different substances known to be used to manufacture meth," according to the affidavit of probable cause obtained by ABC Lansing affiliate WLNS.
The substances included sodium hydroxide pellets, hydrochloric acid, methanol, isopropyl alcohol, acetone and butane, according to the MSU Department of Police and Public Safety.
"Most of these items are household items, they're items that you can obtain at retail stores or online," Yankowski said during a press briefing Wednesday. "Those products alone might not be dangerous, but if you start mixing chemicals together there is a reaction."
The individual was identified by his expired MSU student ID as 31-year-old Xin Tong, according to the affidavit.
He has been charged with possessing substances used to operate or maintain a meth lab, according to campus police, who clarified on Thursday that officers have not located a meth lab inside Wells Hall.
Tong has also been charged with malicious destruction of a building over $20,000, police said, alleging that the suspect "intentionally damaged and/or destroyed property within Wells Hall" between April 10 and April 26. Yankowski said there was a "significant amount" of damage to flooring, doors and fixtures inside the facility.
Tong was arraigned on Wednesday and is being held at the Ingham County Jail on a $500,000 bond, police said. Online court records do not list any attorney information for him.
Wells Hall has been closed since Monday due to the ongoing investigation, as police worked to determine what substances were in the suspect's bags and evaluated the facility.
The building will remain closed through Friday "as officials continue to evaluate the building to ensure it is safe for occupancy," campus police said.
Yankowski said police are looking into how the suspect allegedly accessed the building, which is typically closed on weekends.