A theft case leads sheriff's deputies to an active meth lab in Martin County.

Investigators arrested three men for allegedly cooking meth at a home in the Tomahawk community late Tuesday night.

One suspect was just found not guilty on meth charges last week and released from jail.

Sheriff’s deputies say they went to the house to look for stolen property, but found a meth lab instead.

Late Tuesday night, Investigators were looking for 35 year old Christopher Mollette at this house on Wooten Road.

They wanted to question him about a stolen tool box, but when they got there,

“The door was open and there was fumes coming out the doors and windows, and there was three people in the house hiding in the bedroom. There was meth cooking in the kitchen. it was bad,” Martin County Sheriff Garmon Preece said.

The sheriff says it was a shake and bake meth lab.

Police arrested the three men found hiding in the bedroom, homeowner 47 year old Carl Daniels, 25 year old Travis Blair, and Mollette, who was just released from jail days ago.

Last week a jury found him not guilty on charges of facilitation to manufacturing meth and he was a free man.

“Now he's facing another charge of manufacturing meth and a possession precursor of meth,” Sheriff Preece said.

Mollette is back in jail. He turned down our request for an interview.

Mollette, Daniels, and Blair are all being held on a 10-thousand dollar cash bond due to the alleged meth cooking.

All three men entered not guilty pleas to the meth charges.

Police have cleaned up the scene and condemned the house.

The three suspects are due in court for a preliminary hearing on Tuesday.

No one was hurt during the meth clean-up.

Sheriff's deputies say the theft case that led them to the house is still unsolved.