TYRONE - Jesse Riggleman was in the process of moving out of his 1319 Blair Ave. home.
When Riggleman, who had moved in with his mother in Tipton about three weeks ago, went back to the house at about 10 a.m. Sunday, something didn't seem right. He found the residence he had cleaned up a couple of weeks ago a mess.
"I went in and the atmosphere felt unusual, the air felt heavy and irritated my skin and eyes," said Riggleman, who was treated at the scene by AMED. "Someone apparently had entered the house without permission. I suspected someone had broken in and set up a meth lab."
Riggleman called 911, and the Altoona Fire Department's Hazardous Response Unit, Emergency Management officials and a detective from the state Attorney General's office were called to the scene.
After members of the Neptune and Hookies fire departments determined the home was safe to enter, the Hazmat team searched the building but did not find any chemicals or substances.
"All indications looked like we had a potential lab going on. They didn't get any positive results. That doesn't mean there isn't anything in there. It is a safety issue for the responders and the community," said EMA Director Dan Boyles.
"We didn't find any drug paraphernalia or anything in the house," said Tyrone Police Chief John Romeo. "The Hazmat team checked for a possible meth lab. It was basically a false report."
The Tyrone Police Department will conduct an investigation into the call to the residence as well as several items that were taken as evidence during a subsequent search, police said.
The Tyrone Fire Police also assisted at the scene.
Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 946-4767.
