NEW SUMMERFIELD —
Although synthetic compounds such as “bath salt” and “K2” became illegal Thursday, crimes involving the drugs became noticeable before the law was passed.
Last week a call to 911 centered on a possible hostage situation on Lombough Lane in New Summerfield.
Police Chief Paul Hammack said a neighbor called and said a man was in front of their home with a pistol and was saying he had shot and killed two Mexican males, injured one and there was another running around in his home.
The man, who was with his girlfriend at the time, shot at her 11 times as she was driving away in her pickup. She was not injured.
Officers were able to get him to put his gun down and handcuffed both the male and female to investigate the situation.
“We cleared the house room by room to look for evidence,” Hammack said.
The master bedroom bath contained bath salt packages laying on a cabinet and residue traces gave the appearance the couple had been using it, Hammack said.
“There were boxes with more K2 and bath salt in them,” he said.
Hammack said he believe it was evident the man was hallucinating causing him to believe people were in his home.
Bath salt is a drug that has psychoactive properties like LSD and PCP and affect the body like cocaine and amphetamines, according to an agent conducting a Drug Enforcement Administration training class in Rusk on Thursday. Bath salt is known for causing psychosis and giving the user illusions.
Florida and Lousiana had made bath salt illegal before Texas because of an incident of bath salt causing a youth to slit his own throat with a knife.
K2 is a synthetic marijuana. Compounds are dissolved in chemicals and sprayed on dried plant materials such as potpourri, which people smoke, the agent said.
The drug is said to be four to five times more potent than marijuana at the minimum.
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