HOUSTON (AP) — A 19-year-old man accused of spilling mercury at several Houston locations stole the liquid metal from an abandoned business, tried to sell it in small amounts to people for $20 and spilled some as he played with it in his hands, according to court records.
Christopher Lee Melder remained jailed Tuesday on bonds totaling $5,000. He is charged with burglary of a building and the illegal disposal of hazardous waste. The mercury spill led to about 60 people needing to be decontaminated as a precaution because there had been trace amounts of mercury near their feet.
Christina Garza, a spokeswoman for the FBI’s Houston office, said it appears the mercury spill was not intentional.
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