Authorities Discover Psychedelic Drug Lab While Raiding Home of Couple Believed to Have Stolen $60,000 in Liquor

Authorities raided the home of a couple accused of stealing up to $60,000 worth of booze from a liquor store and discovered what appeared to be a drug lab inside. (Photo: Jeremy Selwyn/Evening Standard/Pool/PA URN:7013312)

The Mercury News reported on Monday that while raiding the home of a California couple believed to have stolen $50,000-$60,000 worth of booze, police discovered a drug lab in the home of the alleged liquor store burglars.

Authorities initially believed that Danielle Kumerow and Maxwell Hayworth were suspects in a burglary of a Walnut Creek liquor store called Hops and Scotch after linking a rental car used by the thieves back to Kumerow.

The couple is currently being charged with grand theft, manufacturing and possessing a controlled substance, burglary and child endangerment according to court records.

When the police arrived at the couple’s sleepy suburban home, they made a discovery that appeared to be straight out of an episode of Vince Gilligan’s “Breaking Bad.” Police found what they believed to be a drug lab, meant for the manufacturing of DMT, or Dimethyltryptamine, inside the home.

According to The Alcohol and Drug Foundation, DMT is a psychedelic that causes hallucinations, euphoria, sensitivity to bodily sensations and hallucinations. A trip usually lasts about 30 minutes, and the drug is commonly found in Ayahuasca.

For Ayahuasca, the plant is often boiled with a different plant that contains a monoamine oxidase inhibitor, and the mixture is often consumed in a ritualistic setting. DMT can also be smoked in vape pens, snorted or injected.

Authorities claimed to The Mercury News that after discovering explosive substances at the lab, a bomb squad was called to the home. The two are scheduled to appear in court on May 13.

In March, another couple in San Marcos, California, was charged with grand theft of almost $200,000 of stolen goods which included Dom Pérignon Champagne. Authorities raided their home and additionally discovered bottles of Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon.

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