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Man caught wearing no pants had meth lab in car

dnj.com, March 4, 2014

MURFREESBORO — Murfreesboro Police recovered an active methamphetamine lab in the early hours of Saturday from the McDonald’s parking lot on South Rutherford Boulevard, according to an arrest report.

Officer Randell Gaines discovered the meth lab during a routine welfare check he conducted around 2 a.m. Saturday on a man who was asleep in a running car, the officer reported.

Gaines tried to awaken the man by knocking on his window, which was when he noticed the man, later identified as Tracy M. Strawn, was missing his pants, Gaines said.

“Mr. Strawn had his penis wrapped in his shirt, but his buttocks were exposed,” Gaines wrote.

As Gaines placed Strawn, 39, of Madison, Tenn., under arrest for indecent exposure, he began an inventory of Strawn’s car.

“Before I did my inventory, I asked Mr. Strawn if there was anything in the vehicle that I needed to worry about doing me bodily harm,” Gaines said. “Mr. Strawn then stated ‘There might be a meth lab in my car.’”

As Gaines opened the front passenger door of the car, a “gasser bottle” fell out, the officer said, adding he immediately called his supervisor and a methamphetamine cleaning crew was dispatched to the scene.

Gaines said an active meth lab was found and Strawn then admitted to cooking meth in his car.

Strawn was also found to have “a quantity of meth in his possession,” along with plastic baggies consistent with selling drugs, Gaines said.

Strawn was arrested and charged with initiation of methamphetamine, felony possession of a schedule II drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and indecent exposure.

Gaines also noted that Strawn was within 1,000 yards of Black Fox Elementary School, which could enhance the charges.

Strawn was booked into the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center where he is being held on $42,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear April 9 in General Sessions Court.