Chemistry teacher arrested twice this week

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Chemistry teacher arrested twice this week; helped teens huff toxicants, stashed explosives in lab

Chemistry teacher Japhia Smith Huhndorf, 34, was arrested twice this week for allegedly helping kids huff a toxic substance and storing explosives in her classroom.

A high school chemistry teacher in California was arrested twice this week for helping students huff chloroform and keeping explosives in her lab, cops say.

Japhia Smith Huhndorf, 34, was arrested Wednesday after cops found a stash of the highly volatile compound nitroglycerin in her lab, sparking a schoolwide evacuation.

Two days earlier, Huhndorf had been arrested and charged with child endangerment for allegedly helping three male teens sniff chloroform off a rag, which causes a woozy high, cops say.

During interviews with the teens and the teacher after the earlier arrest, cops learned that there could be explosives in Huhndorf's classroom, Livingston police spokesman Sgt. Ray Fong told the Daily News.

Huhndorf was released after posting $15,000 bail.

But after a bomb squad raid on her classroom came up empty, cops rearrested Huhndorf Wednesday afternoon and brought her to the school to point out where the nitroglycerin stored, Fong said.

The squad destroyed a 4-milileter vial. Nearby residents said they heard a large explosion at the school.

Experts say nitroglycerin isn't typically found among the beakers and Bunsen burners of a high school science lab.

"That's an explosives substance, very volatile," Fong told the Merced Sun-Star newspaper. "Not really something you want to leave around. It can go off with very little provocation."

Cops said they discovered explosives were at the school after interviewing students and the teacher during the huffing investigation. (Facebook)

Fong couldn't say why Huhndorf was keeping the nitroglycerine at her lab, but that the teacher had admitted to making it before.

She was charged with possession of an explosive substance and held on $500,000 bail.

About 1,100 students at Livingston High were evacuated from the school Wednesday after officials made an announcement over the PA system.

"The police came, but they never told us what was happening," junior Alex Carrillo said.

The students were eventually dismissed after the school was closed, officials said.

High schoolers and parents said they were shocked after the first bust. Huhndorf had been voted "most spirited teacher" and was always smiling and laughing, students said.

"They were probably just messing around and it wasn't meant to hurt anyone," student Yvette Fuentes said. "It sucks that the school's getting a bad reputation because of something like this."

Livingston High ran into trouble in February when a janitor was arrested and charged with molesting a 15-year-old student, the Sun-Star reported.

The school was reopened Thursday.