Suspected Lightbulb-Turned-Meth Pipe Leads to St. Helena Arrest

A 45-year-old St. Helena man was arrested over the weekend after a Napa County Sheriff's drug-sniffing K9 located a suspected meth pipe fashioned from a lightbulb in the man's home.

St. Helena Sgt. Matt Talbott said officers arrested Ladislado Sebastian Morales at about 9:30 a.m. Saturday at a home on Hunt Street in St. Helena on suspicion of possession of drug paraphernalia, destroying evidence and probation violation after a search of the home.

Talbott said officers gained written permission to search the entire home after another resident of the property came into the police station Saturday just after 9 a.m. to report alleged drug activity on the premises.

When St. Helena officers and the Sheriff's K9 entered the home, Morales allegedly ran to a back bedroom, allegedly to hide evidence.

The K9 located a velvet bag containing a smashed lightbulb, Talbott said.

The broken lightbulb had scorched areas and was coated with a powdery residue, indicating it had been used for smoking methamphetamine, according to the police report, Talbott said.

Morales was arrested and booked at Napa County Department of Corrections.