The Brief
- Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and hazmat crews, responded to an Irvine home on Tuesday following reports of a chemical odor and suspicious backyard barrels.
- The homeowner, 18-year-old UC Irvine graduate Amalvin Fritz, was previously raided by the FBI in February at a nearby rental property for housing a homemade chemistry lab.
- The family’s attorney maintains the chemicals are legal, the barrels are empty, and no criminality is involved, though officials have not formally closed the active scene.
IRVINE, Calif. – Authorities swarmed a gated Irvine community on Tuesday to investigate a home chemical lab run by an 18-year-old cancer researcher—marking the second time federal officials have targeted the teen’s operation this year.
The multi-agency response at the second home was triggered by neighborhood reports of an unusual chemical odor and backyard barrels, coming just months after the FBI conducted a similar raid at their nearby rental property.
What we know:…