The Irvine teenager whose science experiment led to a federal investigation and a hazardous materials response was once again at the center of an FBI investigation, the family attorney confirmed with NBC Los Angeles Tuesday.
Someone in the neighborhood had alerted authorities about suspicious chemical activity before the first FBI investigation began in February. But Amalvin Fritz, now 18, told NBCLA then that he was mixing water, rubbing alcohol with chemicals that are commonly found in Epsom salts and nail polish remover.
According to Charles Young, the family attorney, the Fritz family moved to a new house on Crater and began unloading the content of three storage bins, which were investigated by the FBI and released back to the family. But the lawyer believed the smell from the boxes may have prompted neighbors to report the odor Tuesday morning.
The Irvine Police also confirmed that it began a joint operation with the FBI Tuesday morning after receiving a call about a chemical odor coming from a residence on Crater.
Irvine police said there were no known threat to the community, and no neighbors were evacuated.
However, the Fritz family were forced to leave their home again and cooperating with the FBI, Young said.
“The family is beyond frustrated that this is happening again, and that people are scared of what they don’t understand,” the attorney told NBCLA.
The family maintained the 18-year-old UC Irvine biology student is passionate about science as he dreams of becoming a medical doctor and finding a cure for cancer.