Texas police mistake kitty litter for meth, jail innocent man for days

Houston authorities arrested a man last month after field tests mistakenly identified kitty litter found in his car as the drug meth.

Credit: Hannelore Foerster/ Getty Images

Credit: Hannelore Foerster/ Getty Images

Houston authorities arrested a man last month after field tests mistakenly identified kitty litter found in his car as the drug meth.

Police in Texas mistook cat litter for the drug methamphetamine during a traffic stop in Houston last month.

Officers thought they busted a drug dealer with almost a half-pound of meth in his car, but it turned out two field tests were wrong, according to local news reports.

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That’s little consolation for 24-year-old Ross Lebeau, who is still working to clear his name after police released his mug shot and a press release detailing the arrest.

When Harris County officials finally tested the substance at their forensic lab, they discovered it was actually kitty litter, county officials said.

Lebeau says he spent three days in jail and missed work, even though he told the authorities it was his father who filled up a sock with the cat litter for both Lebeau and his sister to use in their cars to keep the windows from becoming foggy.

Officials dismissed the case against Lebeau last week.