WMBB News 13 - The Panhandle's News LeaderUPDATE: Man Arrested on Meth Lab Fire Charges

UPDATE: The Panama City Beach Police Department announced the arrest off 44-year-old Jeffery Stewart Ackiss for the offenses of manufacturing methamphetamine, arson of an occupied dwelling and possession of methamphetamine.

While investigating a methamphetamine lab fire that occurred at the Laketown Wharf condominium, Beach Police Investigators developed Mr. Ackiss as the lead suspect. Investigators located Mr. Ackiss as the lead suspect. Investigators located Mr. Ackiss the next day at an acquaintances home in Panama City Beach. Upon contact with Mr. Ackiss, investigators observed he had severe burns to his arms and feet.

Mr. Ackiss received medical treatment and was later transported to the Bay County Jail.

===

A suspect is still on the loose after running away from a late night Meth lab explosion at a Panama City Beach condominium.  

Panama City Beach Police and Laketown Wharf officials spent Monday morning cleaning up a mess left behind from a meth lab explosion that happened late Sunday night.  

Last night we responded to Laketown around 10:38 at night in reference to the room flooding out our officers arrived on scene," said Panama City Beach Police Chief Drew Whitman. "They went in there found out what they basically called a shake and bake lab one of the bottles they were shaking blew up on them caused a small fire."  

Chief Whitman said officers were called an hour and half after explosion, once Laketown security found the fire sprinklers were on and ruined several thousand dollars of property. It was in that hour and half, the suspect ran away.  

"Our investigators are still tracking down leads on where he went. They have a name, they know who he is, they are following some other leads, but right now we are just trying to track him down," Whitman said. 

News 13 tried talking to Laketown Wharf officials for more information, but they refused to comment and kicked us off property.  

Pete Thompson owns rental property at Laketown Wharf. He's most upset he heard nothing about it, until we told him.  

"It's scary it's really scary," Thompson said. "Owners and renters, everyone should know about it just to be safe you don't want to be on the same floor with the possibility of it blowing up and the sprinklers going on and ruin everything that you work for. I mean these places in here, we are talking a quarter of a million dollars easy that could be destroyed." 

Chief Whitman says Methamphetamine lab explosions like these pop up in our area about three to four times a month. He says it's not only a problem in our area, but worldwide, and it's this Shake-and-Bake method that makes it a challenge.  

"It's everywhere. We are doing the best to combat it and when they are mobile labs like that, we are always trying to catch up with them because they are constantly moving," Whitman added. 

He said the owner of the unit is not a suspect as they live out of state and was using it as rental property. If you have any information on this case you are asked to call the Panama City Beach Police at (850) 233-5010.

The Panama City Beach Police Department is currently investigating a methamphetamine lab that resulted in a fire at a Laketown Wharf condominium.

Investigators were called to the scene after responding officers observed items associated with methamphetamine production in the condo. The fire activated the sprinkler system and resulted in several thousand dollars in damage.

Investigators located several chemicals associated with the production of methamphetamine as well as the finished methamphetamine product.

This investigation is ongoing and arrests are expected.

===

Information provided by the Panama City Beach Police Department