Two people have been arrested after an explosion at a Riverside apartment led to the discovery of a butane honey oil lab, police said Thursday.
Monday’s 6 a.m. explosion in the 600 block of Central Avenue moved neighbors as police and firefighters responded to the scene, the Riverside Police Department said in a press release.
Fire investigators determined the cause of the blaze was a butane honey oil lab set up in one of the apartments, where they spotted empty butane cans, hash oil extracts and marijuana plants, police said.
Butane is a flammable, odorless gas used to extract THC from marijuana plants. The process, which produces hash oil, is dangerous because the gas can be easily ignited by heat from household appliances, police said.
Shortly after reporting the explosion, officers discovered that a man had been taken to the emergency room at a local hospital with severe burns.
Police saw the man in a hospital, as well as a woman who had driven him there, and identified them as residents of the apartment from which the explosion had originated.
The woman, Lisa Marie Twyman, 41, has been arrested on suspicion of manufacturing a controlled substance, conspiracy to commit a felony and outstanding misdemeanor warrants. She was being held on $ 50,000 bail, police said.
The man, 38, was transferred to hospital due to his injuries. He will then face charges for his involvement, police said.
In a nearby vehicle, officers tracked down Cutter Mendonca, 22, who police described as “affiliated with the two suspects and their apartment.”
“Officers learned he was on probation for escaping police and had three outstanding felony warrants.” the police said. “When they searched it, they found a concealed gun and several small bags containing narcotics packaged for sale.”
Mendonca was arrested on outstanding warrants and on suspicion of weapons and drug violations, police said. He was being held on $ 100,000 bond.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Narcotics Unit at 951-353-7200. Those who wish to remain anonymous can send an email to [email protected]
