A Walmart shopper was hit by more than falling prices after police discovered a mobile meth lab in his backpack.

Steve McLeroy, 40, of Newnan, is charged with with manufacturing methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, obstructing officers and reckless conduct, said Peachtree City police in a press release.

Investigators were called to the store on Ga. 54 at about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday after receiving a report of a suspicious person in the store, police said.

After speaking with McLeroy, police searched his backpack and found a small amount of marijuana and a homemade device used to make methamphetamine.

McLeroy attempted to flee but was quickly apprehended, police said.

The Drug Enforcement Agency's Clandestine Lab Team assisted with the investigation because of the potential exposure to hazardous chemicals used in meth production.

McLeroy is being held at the Fayette County jail awaiting bond.

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Fulton DA Fani Willis (center) with Nathan J. Wade (right), the special prosecutor she hired to manage the Trump case and had a romantic relationship with, at a news conference announcing charges against President-elect Donald Trump and others in Atlanta, Aug. 14, 2023. Georgia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, upheld an appeals court's decision to disqualify Willis from the election interference case against Trump and his allies. (Kenny Holston/New York Times)

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