Elkhart teachers formally charged in meth case

By PABLO ROS, Tribune Staff Writer

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35-year-old Michelle Stancati (left), and 35-year-old Maria Stancati (right) are two Elkhart teachers who were arrested Tuesday, police said, after a in-home meth lab sparked a fire.

By Beth Boehne

Story Created: Nov 7, 2008 at 9:14 AM EST

Story Updated: Nov 7, 2008 at 9:14 AM EST

SOUTH BEND — Two Elkhart teachers who are twin sisters have been criminally charged after firefighters responding to a fire at their home found what appeared to be a meth lab.

Maria M. Stancati and Michelle M. Stancati, 35, each face one count of dealing in methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of school property, a class A felony punishable by up to 50 years in prison.

The two women were arrested Tuesday at their home in the 500 block of East Woodside Street after firefighters responding to a blaze inside the home detected a strong odor of ammonia. Upon inspection, they allegedly found ingredients used in the manufacture of meth — plastic soda bottles, coffee filters, lithium battery strips, and a bag of ammonia sulfate, among other things.

Police also allegedly found meth at the residence.

Michelle Stancati was a teacher at North Side Middle School in Elkhart, while her sister was a teacher at Elkhart Memorial High School.

The two allegedly told police they used meth.

Michelle Stancati, the owner of the residence, told police she had lived there four to five years and that two female friends of hers had been living there for about a week, along with an 11-year-old boy. She allegedly told police she bought cold medicine for one of her friends to cook meth, and used both her and her sister's driver's licenses as a form of ID when buying the medicine.

The Stancati residence is allegedly 591 feet from Monroe Elementary School, which is at 312 Donmoyer Ave.

According to police reports, the fire at the home started while meth was being cooked in an upstairs room.

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