Naked man arrested at Columbus storage business

COLUMBUS, Ind. (The Republic) - Columbus police arrested a wet, naked man on methamphetamine-related charges early Tuesday morning.

Police received an anonymous report at about 2:43 a.m. of a man inside the fence of a storage shed company on Indianapolis Road. When Patrolman Matt Stephenson arrived, he found a man with a flashlight near an open storage unit.

After a short conversation with the officer, the suspect fled deeper into the storage shed complex.

Stephenson called for assistance and police cordoned off the storage complex. Patrolman Chad Lehman and police dog "Rex" began searching the yard when another officer saw a naked man inside the fence.

Lt. Joe Richardson, spokesman for the Columbus Police Department, said the suspect admitted that he stripped off his clothes and hid in a nearby pond hoping to avoid the police dog. However, he got cold and surrendered to police.

A working meth lab was found in the storage unit and Indiana State Police was called in to dismantle the lab.

Police arrested Robert M. Lucas, 37, on preliminary charges of resisting law enforcement, manufacturing methamphetamine and two outstanding warrants for unpaid child support.