Police discovered a meth lab inside a Taco Bell in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, around 5 a.m. on Tuesday morning, and arrested the employee who allegedly set it up so he could "stay high all the time."
The employee, Christopher Matous, 31, was approached by police in the parking lot, where he had a peeled lithium battery near his feet. With him was another man, 56-year-old Kent Duby,
reported KWWL-TV.
Cops called the restaurant manager to confirm Matous' employment. The manager confirmed as much, and was asked to give the restaurant a once-over to make sure everything was in order. That's when the police found the remnants of a meth lab in a utility area.
They recovered two grams of meth, as well as Coleman fuel, lye, drain cleaner, and other ingredients used to manufacture the drug.
Matous, once convicted of manufacturing meth in April 2008, allegedly admitted to making the drug at Taco Bell for his own use, so he could "stay high all the time."
Both men were arrested and charged with conspiracy to make meth.
According to The Des Moines Register, Taco Bell released a statement after the incident.
"We understand that two people, one an employee, entered our franchisee’s restaurant illegally, allegedly possessing suspicious items. Both we and our franchisee find this completely unacceptable," it began.
"Our franchisee has been cooperating with Cedar Rapids Police to investigate this isolated incident. Although the suspicious items found in the restaurant were not used in the kitchen, the employee has been terminated and our franchisee is considering pressing criminal charges. The restaurant will reopen after it has been sanitized inspected by the Health Department."
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