Two arrested on methamphetamine-related charges

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- An Illinois man caught stealing anhydrous ammonia late Friday night claimed he just wanted the chemical to fertilize his garden, said police.

Dwayne Stephen Bridges, 42, of Murphysboro, Ill., was arrested Friday by Perry County Sheriff's deputies who said they spotted him in a field belonging to Romann Farms.

According to police reports, Bridges was siphoning anhydrous ammonia from one of Romann Farms' tanks when deputies interrupted him. After a foot chase through the field, Bridges, smelling strongly of ammonia, was caught.

Deputies also found an oxygen tank full of anhydrous ammonia, which is a key ingredient for methamphetamine.

Bridges told police he wanted to fertilize his garden.

Meanwhile other deputies on patrol spotted a pickup with Illinois license plates headed in the direction of where Bridges had just been caught.

The driver, James D. Clover, granted officers permission to search the truck and they found starting fluid, iodized salt, rubber gloves, and 180 ephedrine pills, police said.

Except for the rubber gloves, all are considered pre-cursor ingredients to methamphetamine.

Officers said Clover admitted to dropping Bridges off so he could get some "A."

Bridges and Clover, 36 of Grand Tower, Ill., are charged with stealing and possession of anhydrous ammonia, both class D felonies, and a class C felony of possessing precursor ingredients of methamphetamine.