This story has been updated with additional reporting.
FRESNO, Calif. — An illegal medical lab discovered in the City of Reedley has been shut down.
City code enforcement officers began trying to investigate possible code violations inside a downtown warehouse back in March.
It took months to fully execute a warrant that led code enforcement officers to exposed electrical units and holes in a wall and a door in the back of the building.
Those openings gave light to more bizarre findings — like a room full of lab mice, and containers, vials and bags holding biological material like human blood and tissue.
Those items were inside at least 35 refrigerators that had no running power.
Court records point to the manufacturing of COVID-19 and pregnancy tests inside the facility.
The Fresno County Department of Public Health said it took three days in July to safely remove and dispose of all the hazardous materials.
State and federal agencies were called in to investigate. It’s unclear what – if any – penalties may be placed on the owners of the facility or the lab.
State Assemblymember Devon Mathis said Friday he looks to work with Democrats and Republicans in the legislature to address the discovery of the illegal medical lab.
Mathis said in a news release the discovery left concerning questions over the unreported use of dangerous chemicals.
More broadly, Mathis said he hopes to craft legislation to equip local agencies with tools to ensure businesses are operating legally and ethically.
Read the court's document detailing the warrant's findings below.
