'EVIDENCE' ADDS UP TO MISTAKE FOR DRUG COPS

Kennewick drug cops thought they had just another meth lab.

It appeared to have all the right stuff:

- -- A plastic bag containing a white powder that tested positive for a
probable controlled substance.

- -- A sweet, solvent-like smell emanating from the property and empty solvent
cans scattered about the back yard.

- -- A propane burner and recently used cooking pot set up outdoors behind a
makeshift plywood wall that blocked the view from the street.

- -- A clear garbage bag holding empty packages of medicine that possibly had
been harvested for ephedrine, a vital ingredient for methamphetamine.

It was enough right stuff to get the signature of Judge Robert Swisher of
Benton County Superior Court on the search warrant for 21 N. Jean St. on
Oct. 15.

But it was all a mistake, Detective Rick Runge admits now.

The plastic bag contained residue from a paint solvent, the medicine
packaging was for chemicals that are of no use to a meth-maker and the
propane burner and cookware were left over from a steak cookout a couple of
nights earlier.

The homeowner who was the suspected drug chef turned out to be 37- year-old
Leticia Lopez. Her claim to fame as a cook is for tomatillo sauce, not meth.
This was her first brush with the law.

Lopez and a friend, Teresa Pimentel, were making enchiladas when they saw
eight policemen converging toward Lopez's home at about 2:30 p.m.

With her son interpreting, Lopez recalled how she first thought the officers
might be looking for someone who was running and might try to enter her
home.

"I was going to lock my door," she said.

But the police got there first, and let themselves in straightway with
weapons ready and prepared to knock down the door, if necessary.

It wasn't.

Officers quickly handcuffed the women and directed a 7-year-old boy to stay
put while they searched the home for other people.

There wasn't anyone else, said Ricardo Castro, 14, Lopez's son. He and his
uncle arrived later.

Runge said he quickly headed to the back yard, where he found the burner and
cookware and noticed the plastic garbage bag with medicine packaging.

A day earlier, the detective had driven by the home to confirm suspicions
reported by two citizens who thought they had found a drug lab while looking
to buy a house. But now with a closer look, Runge realized things were not
right.

"The first thing I noticed was that the pill containers were not consistent
with (meth chemicals)," Runge said. When he then learned that the solvent
cans were left from a painting project inside the home, he immediately
canceled the search.

"It was all legitimate, what they had been doing," he said. "I felt I had
lost my probable cause, so we quit."

Only Lopez's bedroom had been searched. The two women were released from
handcuffs, and the officers left.

Although the plastic bag with the white powder initially tested positive for
drugs, Runge said it was a "false positive" because of the presence of a
solvent associated with the painting. The powder had no methamphetamine or
ephedrine.

While the ordeal ended quickly, it's far from over for Lopez, who has a
history of anxiety attacks and panic disorder.

About two hours after the raid, Lopez said, she began to shake, started
gasping for air and crying.

Her family took her to the Kennewick General Hospital emergency room where
she was given medication to calm her nerves, said her son.

Lopez said she still has fit-filled nights and is back on daily doses of
anti-anxiety medication. She said she is leaving the Tri-Cities for a few
days to get away.

"I just want to get my life calmed down," she said.

She also wants her family, friends and neighbors to know it was all a big
mistake.

"I felt bad," Runge said. "I don't take people's rights lightly. You can
only say you're sorry so many times."

Castro said his mother appreciates the apology, and especially the fact that
one of the officers lingered to make sure she was going to be OK.

Runge, who has hundreds of meth lab searches to his credit, said it was the
first time he had a search warrant for drugs go bad.

"It all fit. Everything I had led to probable cause," he said.