Police responding to a report that three men were attacking someone with a baseball bat Saturday morning in Rochester reportedly found evidence of an extensive meth-making operation next door to a preschool. Officers searched the home in the 900 block of Park Street and found what our reporting partners at WNDU-TV describe as an “extreme” amount of drugs along with seven dogs ranging in age from adults to puppies who appeared to be malnourished. Fulton County Animal Control removed the animals, and the Indiana State Police Clandestine Laboratory Team cleaned up the residence. Beverly Hite, Clifford Smith and Catherine Heiden all face charges stemming from the incident. The drug offenses are enhanced due to the location within 1,000 feet of a preschool. Additional charges are possible, as the investigation is continuing.
