Search Warrant Served At Fontana Body Shop Accused Of Selling Laughing Gas To Drivers

RIALTO (CBSLA.com)   — A search warrant was served Friday evening at a Fontana auto body repair shop police say has been selling laughing gas to motorists.

Officials say drivers under the influence of the laughing gas, better known as nitrous oxide or NOS, have crashed their vehicles.

Selling the gas is a misdemeanor.

But authorities believe some of these crashes have been fatal.

KCAL9's Crystal Cruz was along when the search warrant was served.

And what did they find?

"Plenty of tanks and equipment that show us that their distributing it for the purpose of inhaling it. There are two customers here right now who have admitted they're here to fill their NOS tanks," said Nic Parcher with the Rialto Police Department.

Authorities suspect people are buying it to huff it, instead of it's common use in vehicles, to make cars faster.

Police say there's been more than a dozen traffic accidents this year involving drivers suspected of being under the influence of NOS.

"We're talking 18 year old, 19 year old kids passing out while huffing this nitrous oxide and causing and being responsible for other people being injured," said Rialto Police Captain Randy DeAnda.

Myles "Eddie" Scott, 17,  was killed in a car accident last year. Myles and the driver of the car were both suspected of being high on NOS.

Myle's' father, Eddie Scott, is a Rialto city councilman.

"The driver it appears passed out went off the freeway and hit a tree," says Eddie,  "For my family it's living hell. He was the glue that kept us together."

Officers say they found marijuana and a firearm inside the shop.

Cruz reports several people were detained for questioning and one shop employee was arrested.