Hazmat team investigates home of Orange County teen whose at-home laboratory drew FBI investigation in February

The Orange County teenager whose at-home laboratory sparked a days-long FBI investigation after authorities were alerted to "suspicious" materials back in February is at the center of another hazmat probe. 

Nearly five months after federal agents and Orange County firefighters swarmed the Irvine home of 17-year-old Amalvin Fritz, hazardous materials crews, a bomb squad and FBI officials were once again called to the family's new property in the Altair community on Tuesday. 

CJ Ray, the family's attorney, told CBS LA that this time, authorities were called to Crater, a street just two blocks from the family's old home, when neighbors called 911 because of several barrels stored in the property's backyard and reported smelling chemical odors. 

Ray said that the three barrels are empty and previously contained chemicals and equipment that were not confiscated during February's investigation. 

"This is terrible. Just to see that this is happening again," said Raj Bhatia, who lives in the area and is on Irvine's planning commission. "Now that this is pertaining to maybe a new site, a new location, what is the underlying reason for that and why isn't it where he basically shouldn't conduct any hazmat materials at his age? I don't know how he gets the materials in the first place."

In February, a source familiar with the investigation told CBS LA that Orange County Fire Authority and Irvine Police Department investigators discovered possible indications of chemical nerve agents inside the family's home, where Fritz had his at-home laboratory and mixed unknown chemicals. The initial discovery was made by the home's landlord, who contacted authorities. 

OCFA hazmat teams discovered written evidence they deemed concerning, leading their handing the investigation to FBI investigators, who sent their Evidence and Response Team and Hazardous Response Teams to the home near Cartwheel and Iluna. The National Guard's Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team was also called to assist.

At the time, Fritz, a recent UC Irvine pre-medical graduate, told CBS LA that he dreams of becoming a doctor one day, and that his at-home experiments were conducted with chemicals that anyone can purchase online or find at a hardware store. He says that he was safe throughout the process and that his experiments were focused on new therapeutics for cancer and Alzheimer's disease. 

An FBI spokesperson told CBS LA that their February investigation into Fritz is still ongoing.

Ray said that the family is hoping to return to normalcy and that Fritz just wants to continue his life and move on to medical school.

"There are no dangerous chemicals or anything in any way, shape or form that is a threat to anyone or anything," Ray said. "And, at this stage right now, we anticipate that this will be a continuation of the first situation where no criminal charges were filed because there's not criminality here."

When asked what type of chemicals were being stored at the home, Ray said he couldn't say exactly what they were, but ensured that they were not dangerous.