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Deputies find evidence of meth labs in Walworth County

ELKHORN — Walworth County deputies on Saturday found items at sites in Richmond and Delavan townships they believe are associated with methamphetamine production, according to a news release from the Walworth County Drug Enforcement Unit.

Deputies responded to a trespassing complaint in a wooded area next to a cornfield in Richmond Township about 9 a.m. They checked the area and did not find any suspects, but they found items commonly associated with one of the stages of meth production, said Sgt. Jeff Patek of the drug unit.

Deputies then responded to a complaint of a vehicle found parked in the driveway of a residence in Delavan Township about 9:30 a.m. They checked the vehicle and the area around the residence and found items they believe to be associated with an active meth lab, Patek said.

The vehicle appeared to be abandoned and not associated with the people who live at the residence, he said. The vehicle had been parked there for about an hour, he said.

Authorities believe the two incidents are connected, he said.

The Clandestine Laboratory Enforcement and Response Task Force, which is part of the state Department of Justice, collected evidence from both sites. Police have no suspects, and the investigation is ongoing, according to the release.

The last evidence of meth production in Walworth County was about three years ago when authorities found a dumpsite in a cornfield in Sharon Township, Patek said.