Palm Bay police shut down a meth lab in a home and arrested three people Thursday night after a six-week investigation, according to Local 6 News partner Florida Today.

A tipster originally phoned police and told them chemicals could be smelled from the home at 1451 Leeward Ave. S.E.

Police wore biohazard suits to remove items Thursday night, as the odor spread across the front yard.

"They were manufacturing (meth) all over the place," said Palm Bay police Sgt. Tim Lancaster as he stood near a lineup of bottles, vials, paint thinner, pickle jars and match sticks. "The place is a mess."

Coye Boyett, 25, Zack Maxwell, 22, and a woman -- whose identity wasn't available -- were charged with manufacture of methamphetamine, a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison, said Yvonne Martinez, police spokeswoman.

Because of the explosiveness of the chemicals in the house, police waited to arrest Boyett and Maxwell at a local hardware store, where they bought two gallons of paint thinner -- a meth ingredient, police said.

Boyett and the unidentified woman lived at the home, police said. Maxwell appeared to live elsewhere.

Neighbor Rico Ellis, 29, said he was readying to watch the TV crime show "COPS" as actual police swarmed next door.

"I'm just wondering what's going on," Ellis said.

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