Fort Wayne police say a meth lab was found inside of a southeast strip mall, where a body was discovered last Wednesday.
Today the city condemned that unit located on South Anthony Boulevard.
WFFT was on the scene to get the reaction of local business owners.
They say people were coming and going at all hours of the day.
And they believe that meth lab had been in operation for quite some time.
"It's too bad because it's kind of, you know, brings a bad reputation to here. It already doesn't... Meth isn't good any way you look at it," says Chad Herrberg of the Tattoo Lounge.
The investigation started on Wednesday, when police found the body of Dana Gersper inside this empty store, inside the Anthony Wayne Village Center strip mall.
Another person is in critical condition at a local hospital.
"We do believe that there was an active meth lab that day- earlier that day... And something went very wrong," police spokesperson Raquel Foster says.
Today city health officials condemned the unit.
"We know that one person other than the owner had access. At least one person. It's believed at this time that these individuals may have been assisting that contractor," Foster says.
Business owners here say it was supposed to be empty, but people would enter and leave the unit after business hours.
They also report strange and bad smells coming from it.
Herrberg runs the Tattoo Lounge a few doors down.
He says it undermines his work.
"Yes it is, especially when somebody dies down the street from you. It's a couple of doors down, you know, they're dead. You find out about that, it's just, that's not good. That's not good for any of us," Herrberg says.
Police have linked three others to the investigation-
Two who treated at a local E.R Wednesday, and a person who reported the body to police from a pay phone across the street.
"That is probably the most unfortunate piece of this entire situation that someone was in need of medical assistance and we have an anonymous caller who hangs up rather than provide us with the information that we need so that we can get help to those two people inside," Foster says.
Police also found a car with a portable meth lab outside the empty store.
Police say the owner of the strip mall had hired a contractor to prepare the empty unit for a future lease, but now he'll have to clean up this mess before looking for a new tenant.
Local business owners hope this discovery won't affect their business.
Today the city condemned that unit located on South Anthony Boulevard.
WFFT was on the scene to get the reaction of local business owners.
They say people were coming and going at all hours of the day.
And they believe that meth lab had been in operation for quite some time.
"It's too bad because it's kind of, you know, brings a bad reputation to here. It already doesn't... Meth isn't good any way you look at it," says Chad Herrberg of the Tattoo Lounge.
The investigation started on Wednesday, when police found the body of Dana Gersper inside this empty store, inside the Anthony Wayne Village Center strip mall.
Another person is in critical condition at a local hospital.
"We do believe that there was an active meth lab that day- earlier that day... And something went very wrong," police spokesperson Raquel Foster says.
Today city health officials condemned the unit.
"We know that one person other than the owner had access. At least one person. It's believed at this time that these individuals may have been assisting that contractor," Foster says.
Business owners here say it was supposed to be empty, but people would enter and leave the unit after business hours.
They also report strange and bad smells coming from it.
Herrberg runs the Tattoo Lounge a few doors down.
He says it undermines his work.
"Yes it is, especially when somebody dies down the street from you. It's a couple of doors down, you know, they're dead. You find out about that, it's just, that's not good. That's not good for any of us," Herrberg says.
Police have linked three others to the investigation-
Two who treated at a local E.R Wednesday, and a person who reported the body to police from a pay phone across the street.
"That is probably the most unfortunate piece of this entire situation that someone was in need of medical assistance and we have an anonymous caller who hangs up rather than provide us with the information that we need so that we can get help to those two people inside," Foster says.
Police also found a car with a portable meth lab outside the empty store.
Police say the owner of the strip mall had hired a contractor to prepare the empty unit for a future lease, but now he'll have to clean up this mess before looking for a new tenant.
Local business owners hope this discovery won't affect their business.
