Sheriff: 2 kids inside meth house in Butler County

Two children were inside a meth house Tuesday afternoon during a raid, Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones announced.

Deputies along with county probation officers and the Butler County Undercover Regional Narcotics Taskforce responded around 4 p.m. to the 2800 block of Scott Road, where they found chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine. There were two children and another adult inside the house at the time of the search, a news release from the sheriff’s office stated.

Sgt. Mike Hackney said Milford Twp. fire crews were staged nearby because there was a concern a tank containing chemicals could explode.

“We found a lot of extremely dangerous chemicals that could have been a recipe for disaster, so it is a good thing we found it in time,” Hackney said. “This was a very dangerous situation for everyone.”

Michael Murray Sr., 36, was arrested and booked into the Butler County Jail on suspicion of illegal manufacturing of drugs, a first-degree felony; illegal possession of chemicals for the manufacturing of drugs, a second-degree felony; and endangering children, a third-degree felony, the sheriff’s office and online jail records show.

Murray, who is being held without bond, also is suspected of violating probation and had three bench warrants for his arrest, online jail records show.

“I am absolutely tired of drug dealers putting children and innocent people in danger at the price of their own personal gain,” Jones stated. “The drugs are bad enough, but to not care about the innocent lives in the mix is disgusting to me.”

Butler County Children Services was contacted, and the incident remains under investigation with more charges possible, according to the sheriff’s office.