Costa Mesa man pleads guilty in meth lab explosion

SUE DOYLE

A Costa Mesa man pleaded guilty Thursday to voluntary manslaughter and

manufacturing illegal drugs in connection with the May death of

21-year-old man in a methamphetamine lab explosion at a Huntington Park

apartment complex.

Jorge Chavez, 24, also known as Juan Sandoval, entered his plea during

a preliminary hearing before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge

Michael Kellogg. He’s being held in Los Angeles County Jail.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged Chavez with

second-degree murder May 24. Authorities are expected to dismiss the

charge at his sentencing Aug. 2, at which Chavez is scheduled to receive

a 15-year prison sentence, said John Allen Ramseyer, a Los Angeles County

prosecutor.

Huntington Park police arrested Chavez on May 18 at his home in the

800 block of Congress Street in Costa Mesa. Authorities in riot gear

searched his home and recovered seven rifles and shotguns, along with

other evidence.

Police suspected Chavez played a role in the explosion after they

recovered a lease agreement with his name on it at the Huntington Park

apartment. The May 17 blast blew through walls and the roof of the

building. More than 20 families were forced to evacuate their homes.

Ramseyer said the May explosion marks a frightening trend in

methamphetamine labs, which are increasingly moving from rural areas to

residential communities.

“Most people don’t know they’re right there, next door,” Ramseyer

said. “People can be playing right in front of the location. That’s the

most alarming fact about it.”