A man is in custody of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office on controlled substance manufacturing charges after being found in the aftermath of a mobile hash oil lab explosion that he caused on Wednesday.
At around 3:00 a.m. on June 5, deputies responded to a call about a suspicious vehicle parked on the 6500 block of Camino Venturoso in Goleta.
When deputies arrived, they discovered that there had been an explosion inside the vehicle which had blown out multiple windows, sending debris flying in various directions and causing minor damage to another car parked nearby.
Deputies located the suspect, 43-year-old New York resident James Girona at the scene where he was treated for minor injuries.
When detectives from the Special Investigations Bureau responded to the scene and conducted an investigation, they discovered that the explosion was a result of Girona attempting to make butane hash oil (BHO) in his vehicle.
During a search of the vehicle, a live alligator snapping turtle that Girona had brought with him from New York was also discovered among the evidence.
The turtle was uninjured by the explosion and released to a local animal shelter.
Girona was arrested and booked on felony charges related to the manufacturing of a controlled substance, his bail set at $750,000.
