Detective Sergeant Doug Dahmen of the sheriff’s office did a five-year study from 1992-1997 which illustrated a 1,500-percent increase in meth-related bookings in Monterey County jails.

With the assistance of the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement, and two commercial hazardous materials crews, they removed more than 75 pounds of Ephedra sinica, a precursor for the manufacture of methamphetamine, from Abbruzzetti’s home. They also removed a variety of reagents, such as red phosphorous, methanol, acetone, denatured alcohol and sodium hydroxide. Agents filled numerous haz-mat drums with laboratory paraphernalia such as drums, contaminated containers, beakers, plastic and rubber tubing and cookers, and took them away. They discovered that Abbruzzetti had been dumping a portion of the contaminants into the back yard of the rental property.

Following an investigation, Abbruzzetti was charged with possession of methamphetamine, manufacturing methamphetamine, sales of methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine precursors. His bail was set at $80,000 and he was lodged in the Monterey County jail. His female companions were questioned and released without charges.

It was a huge bust for the Pacific Grove Police Department, yet it was unsettling. This tiny coastal hamlet seemed like the last place one would expect to find a meth lab.

“I think it worked for the manufacturer because few people in Pacific Grove knew anything about methamphetamines,” Deputy District Attorney Ann Hills says. “They might see Abbruzzetti wheeling in ephedra leaves and think that he was just doing some organic gardening. He could have gone undetected for who knows how long. It’s the last thing you’d expect in Pacific Grove. It definitely helped him escape detection, to a point.”