Man passed out in pickup leads police to meth lab outside NW Indiana home

A man is facing several drug charges after police found a meth lab at his northwest Indiana home Tuesday.

Porter County sheriff’s officers were called to the Family Express station at 297 U.S. 6 in Liberty Township for reports of a person passed out in a pickup in the parking lot, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.

Officers found 30-year-old Elliot Koss in the driver’s seat of a silver pickup, according to the sheriff’s office. He had slurred speech, “great difficulty answering questions” and appeared to be under the influence of narcotics. The officer was familiar with Koss from previous narcotics-related encounters, police said.

Police got consent to search the pickup and found a backpack containing supplies used to manufacture methamphetamine, the sheriff’s office said. They also found three “loaded” hypodermic needles.

While he was being transported to Porter Regional Hospital by paramedics, Koss told the medics he had meth manufacturing items on the lower deck of his home in a blue plastic storage container, according to police.

Officers contacted Koss’ parents, the owners of the home where he lives in the 100 block of Wexford Road in the Shorewood Forest subdivision in Union Township, just west of Valparaiso on U.S. 30. They gave permission to search the home, where officers found the meth lab where Koss said it would be, near a scorched portion of the home’s vinyl siding, police said.

Koss was released from the hospital and taken to the Porter County Jail, the sheriff’s office said. He is charged with felony counts of manufacturing methamphetamine, possession of drug precursors, possession of methamphetamine and possession of hypodermic needles.

A man is facing drug charges after authorities found supplies for manufacturing methamphetamine in his truck and home. | Porter County sheriff’s office

A man is facing drug charges after authorities found supplies for manufacturing methamphetamine in his truck and home. | Porter County sheriff’s office

A man is facing drug charges after authorities found supplies for manufacturing methamphetamine in his truck and home. | Porter County sheriff’s office