HOUSTON — Investigators are trying to learn more about why a 19-year-old man broke into a Houston laboratory and stole at least one vial of mercury and several checks on Friday night.
In court, documents revealed Christopher Melder allegedly stole 11 pounds of mercury and personal and business checks.
Houston fire Chief Sam Pena later explained that the lab had multiple vials of mercury, and that each one could contain about 11 to 15 pounds of mercury in its liquid metal form. It is unclear exactly how many Melder may have stolen.
Those documents also show Melder tried to sell the mercury at a Walmart and nearby gas station.
Investigators determined through questioning that there was “no nefarious intent” behind the theft and subsequent spilling of the mercury. Investigators said Melder “thought it would be fun to play with.”
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Police said officers responded GeoChem on Dec. 13 for someone breaking into the building. Pena said “the chemicals in the warehouse were essentially abandoned.”
Hours later, around 2:31 a.m. on Dec. 14, Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to the St. Luke’s Hospital emergency room.
Deputies were told that a 19-year-old man had gone to the hospital seeking treatment for possible exposure to mercury, and that an unspecified amount of the liquid metal substance had spilled onto the hospital floor.
The Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office Hazmat Team was also at the hospital to oversee cleanup of the material by a private hazardous material clean up company hired by the hospital. At no time did any Harris County Sheriff’s Office personnel come into contact with the mercury.
According to St. Luke’s staff, the only two patients who were in-house at the time of the incident were transferred to CHI St Luke’s Health—The Woodlands Hospital as a precaution. The Emergency Department at Springwoods Village Hospital shut down for a brief period during the clean-up and decontamination process, but it has since reopened. The room in question remains closed until final testing confirms that the room is safe for occupancy. Our priority remains the safety of our staff and patients.
Neither deputies nor the hospital confirmed that the person involved was named Christopher Melder.
Hazmat crews detected mercury at several other locations near the lab, including a convenience store named “Bucky’s,” (not to be confused with Buc-ee’s), outside a Walmart, and outside a Sonic drive-in. and near the McDonald’s restrooms inside the Walmart.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality issued the following statement on Tuesday:
The City of Houston Office of Emergency Management provided initial oversight of the event and later transitioned to the Houston Police Department for further criminal investigation. The TCEQ is serving in a support role to local responders and receiving daily updates.
Commercial laboratory waste, including mercury, falls under the jurisdiction of the TCEQ. GeoChem had not provided the TCEQ with notification of waste generation as required by rule. The TCEQ will continue to offer support to the local jurisdictions, as needed. For information about the status of this investigation, please contact the City of Houston.
Editor’s note: This story will be updated.
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