A Memphis man arrested, charged with operating meth lab after apartment fire near Germantown

A Memphis man has been arrested and charged with several felony drug offenses after a fire at an apartment near the Windyke Country Club revealed a possible meth lab. 

Caden Farese, 20, was booked into custody by the Shelby County Sheriff's Department Monday and has been charged with two counts of manufacturing a controlled substance and one count of manufacturing, delivering, selling or possessing methamphetamine, according to Shelby County court records. 

After a Memorial Day fire at an apartment at the Miller Creek at Germantown Apartment Homes — which is in unincorporated Shelby County just outside the border of both Memphis and Germantown — detectives with the sheriff's department narcotics team were notified that chemicals and drug paraphernalia had been seen in the apartment, according to an affidavit. 

More:3 Memphis-area pharmacy techs lost licenses after diverting drugs

More:Cordova woman pleads guilty to supplying drugs in heroin overdose death

Detectives determined the apartment was Farese's primary residence and executed a search warrant at the apartment May 29. During the search, they found chemicals typically used in meth production as well as fuel sources, glassware and tubing.  

"Although detectives did not find an active production process, there was sufficient precursor chemicals and evidence to provide probable cause that the manufacture of methamphetamine was conducted in this residence," according to the affidavit.

Farese had already been arrested by Germantown police after fleeing the scene of the fire May 27. Germantown police received a call about a person on Winchester Road —about a 10-minute walk from the apartment and over the border between Memphis and Germantown — who was possibly on drugs, according to the affidavit. 

Because of erratic behavior, GPD contacted the Germantown Fire Department and paramedics transported Farese to St. Francis Hospital in Memphis. At the hospital, medical providers noticed an unidentified substance on Farese's clothing and contacted Memphis police. 

The substance was processed by MPD and identified as meth. The affidavit, which was submitted May 31, indicated that at that time, Farese was still receiving medical care. It is unclear exactly when he was released from medical supervision. He was booked into custody by the sheriff's department June 10.

Bond has been set by judge Tim Dwyer at $1 million.