A 31-year-old man has been arrested and charged in an incident involving chemicals used in the production of methamphetamines at Michigan State University, prompting the closure of Wells Hall, the largest academic building on campus, this week.
Xin Tong faces charges of malicious destruction of property over $20,000 and operating or maintaining a methamphetamine lab, state police said in a news release. He is being held at the Ingham County Jail on a $500,000 cash surety bond. It is not clear whether Tong has an attorney.
Campus Public Safety Chief Mike Yankowski said at a news conference Wednesday that the incident involved an unknown substance found on flooring and doors throughout the building in East Lansing.
At around 9:30 p.m. Sunday, campus police responded to a report of possible trespassing. Officers found Tong on the fifth floor with four or five backpacks and duffel bags, Yankowski said.
Police obtained a search warrant and found "several labeled and unlabeled containers of an unknown liquid substance inside," the safety chief said.
The news release identified the substances as sodium hydroxide pellets, hydrochloric acid, methanol, isopropyl alcohol, acetone and butane. Police said the substances can be purchased legally online and in stores.
Police asked additional law enforcement agencies for assistance, including the East Lansing Fire Department, which conducted testing and air control inside the hall.
Wells Hall was closed out of an abundance of caution. It will remain closed until Friday, and exams have been moved and rescheduled, the school said in a statement.
Yankowski said the building sustained significant property damage, which state police described as directly related to the alleged criminal activity.
Yankowski declined to say whether Tong is a student or a faculty member. The incident remains under investigation.
