An officer with the Syracuse Police Department had a close call with a meth lab in a bag Saturday after he arrested a man for battery. Allen K. Holden, 42, of 916 S. Hansing St., Syracuse, is charged with domestic battery with a child under 16 present, a class D felony, and dealing in methamphetamine, a class B felony. Officer Joe Salazar responded to a fight in progress on Hansing Street Saturday and found a man with a red bag on his shoulder. Salazar discovered that the man, Holden, had been fighting with his girlfriend. Holden told the officer the bag contained his clothes. Salazar had Holden sit in his police vehicle while he interviewed the girlfriend and placed the red bag in the front seat. It was discovered that Holden had choked the girlfriend in front of a minor child. Salazar arrested Holden for battery and transported him to Kosciusko County Jail. After transfering Holden to the jail, Salazar returned to his patrol vehicle and smelled a strong chemical odor and observed smoke coming from Holden’s red bag. Salazar removed the bag and threw it on the ground as it exploded into flames, according to the probable cause affidavit. Warsaw Police Department then responded and were able to recognize an HCL generator and a one pot meth lab. Syracuse Police then responded to Holden’s residence and located more meth making materials. Holden was booked into the jail on a $10,000 bond.
