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PCP Lab Discovered At Long Beach Home

LONG BEACH (CBSLA.com) — A PCP lab was found Friday at a Long Beach home where neighbors had complained of a strong chemical odor.

Two men were arrested during the raid, which followed a complaint about 1 a.m. of a chemical odor in the 4300 block of Maury Avenue, Long Beach police officials said.

The suspects were identified as Edwin Van, 48, and Vernon Thomas, 61, both of Long Beach.

"The initial investigation at the scene led officers and firefighters to believe the smell was related to a possible clandestine laboratory," police said in a statement. "Officers quickly contained the scene and evacuated residents in the immediate area to ensure their safety during the investigation."

An "active phencyclidine (PCP) laboratory" with several large drum containers of the drug was found on the property, according to the LBPD.

Van and Thomas were taken to a hospital for treatment of minor chemical exposure and then booked at the Long Beach City Jail on suspicion of manufacturing a controlled substance, with bail set at $75,000 apiece, police said.

(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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