Man sentenced in hash oil lab case

EL CAJON (CNS) – A man who had a honey oil lab in the garage of a home near La Mesa where a friend’s two toddlers drowned was Tuesday handed an eight-year, eight-month term — half to be served in local custody and the rest in community supervision under a program to reduce overcrowding for non-violent offenders.

Larry Dangelo, 45, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to manufacturing honey oil, which is derived from marijuana.

A friend, 28-year-old Tassie Behrens, was staying with Dangelo on May 13, 2013, when her children, 2-year-old Jason Bradford and his 16-month-old sister, Harley, were found in a backyard swimming pool.

Detectives said Behrens told them she had been at the house the night of May 12, 2013, and had taken them swimming in the pool. She later put them to bed on a living room couch and went into a bedroom with Dangelo.

According to detectives, Behrens said Jason came into the bedroom about 8 a.m. the next morning, asking about his sister. Behrens said she fell back asleep and woke up an hour later, but didn’t see either child in the living room.

She said she went to the back patio and found them face-down in the pool.

Deputy District Attorney Chantal de Mauregne said Behrens — who pleaded guilty to child endangerment — had methamphetamine in her system when her children drowned.

Behrens was sentenced last month to four years in prison.