Man accused of bringing meth bottle into Jefferson City IHOP
Man accused of bringing meth bottle into Jefferson City IHOP, causing evacuation on Thanksgiving Day
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) – A Jefferson City man faces two felony charges after allegedly bringing a combustible methamphetamine bottle into an IHOP on Thanksgiving Day.
Jason Cross, 53, was charged with manufacturing a controlled substance and first-degree endangering the welfare of a child. He is being held at the Cole County Jail without bond. Cross pleaded not guilty via video during an arraignment on Monday and has requested a public defender.
According to the probable cause statement, police were called to the IHOP on Missouri Boulevard around 6:23 p.m. Thursday after a witness reported that Cross had been talking about a bomb. Officers removed one person from the restaurant and evacuated the building.
Court documents indicate that Cross allegedly referred to a bottle he called a “shake and bake,” a method for making methamphetamine that is highly combustible. He reportedly told police he brought the bottle to the restaurant “to possibly make it safe.”
Cross allegedly stated that he “did not think [he] brought a bomb into the restaurant but thought it could be.” One alleged victim was a teenager who worked at the IHOP. The teenager and another witness told police that Cross had called the bottle a “bomb” and had been shaking it inside the building.
A counsel status hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday, with a preliminary hearing set for 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29.
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