Lawmen arrest 2 in Lufkin motel meth bust

Authorities on Wednesday surprised two men and a woman in a Lufkin motel room that contained the kind of equipment used to cook methamphetamine.

Inside a corner room at Motel 6 on Timberland Drive, investigators acting on an anonymous tip found a couple ounces of unfinished meth — nearly three times what the department typically finds, said investigator Allen Hill of the Angelina County Sheriff's Office.

Lufkin police arrested Scott Hodge and Matthew Sherman, charging both with manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance. The woman was detained and later released.

Several glass bottles filled with chemicals cluttered the dresser of motel room 148 as investigators identified the contents of each.

Hill said the smell of toxic chemicals, including red phosphorus, camping fuel and antifreeze, was overpowering in the room when investigators surprised the three inside.

The room had been rented since Monday, said Angelina County Sheriff Kent Henson.

The Lufkin Fire Department Hazmat crew secured the room before investigators could take a report on the contents of the meth lab, Henson said. A Hazmat team from Texarkana was expected to dismantle the lab and dispose of the chemicals later in the day. Henson said it could take days for a motel crew to clean the room before it will be suitable for renting.

The department asked the public to contact law enforcement with information about meth labs. Henson said a strong chemical smell is often an indication of an active lab.