A Umatilla man and his accomplice were arrested on Wednesday after a search warrant uncovered a large amount of meth and stolen construction materials.
The Lake County Criminal Investigations Bureau detectives from the General Crimes Unit started an investigation regarding construction and utility thefts that occurred in April. Throughout the investigation and weeks of surveillance, detectives identified the suspect, 27-year-old Jeffery Allen Knerr Jr., and his accomplice, 34-year-old Victor Manuel Lopez Mendez.
On Saturday, the Lake County Criminal Investigations Bureau and the Special Investigations Bureau executed a search warrant at 16131 Umatilla Pl., Umatilla. Detectives located a trafficking amount of methamphetamine and recovered numerous construction materials from reported thefts, including ceramic flooring and flooring supplies, doors, trim, lighting, painting supplies, cabinets, and a toilet.
It was also discovered that Knerr was stripping wire on the property. Detectives located wire and wire casings that were stolen from a construction site where Duke Energy had been working. The reported theft of the wire resulted in over $40,000.
While inventorying and loading the material, detectives followed leads from labels and confirmed stolen property from several construction sites in the Mount Dora area, including lighting and tools from the East Lake Community Church site.
Knerr was taken into custody on several warrants with charges and transported to the Lake County Jail on a $96,000 bond. Lopez Mendez was also taken into custody, where he remains in jail with an ICE detainer.
Additional charges are possible.