Not guilty pleas entered after meth found in home with children

Published 7:45 am Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Two Austin residents are facing felony drug charges after police discovered a small amount of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia in their possession.

Jana Michelle Lenz, 33, and Nicholas James Dahmen, 37, have both pleaded not guilty to two charges of fifth-degree drug possession and storing meth paraphernalia in the presence of a child.

Lenz and Dahmen were arrested Jan. 7 when a search warrant was served at Lenz’s home, located on the 800 block of Fifth Street NW.

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When police arrived, both Lenz and Dahmen said there was no meth or drug paraphernalia in the home and they both said they would test negative for meth.

However, police found a baggie containing meth residue, a digital scale containing meth residue, 0.10 grams of meth in a bag, 10 Darvocet pills and assorted grinders, baggies, straws, tubes and glass pipes containing both meth and marijuana residue in the house.

The officers also found two pre-school aged children in a bedroom that had a door secured with a knife. The door handle was missing, which restricted entrance and exit to the room.

When police questioned her, Lenz said the drugs and paraphernalia were hers and that she started using meth again in September 2010. She said Dahmen was trying to get her to “straighten out.”

The court complaints made no mention of police interviewing Dahmen.

Both Lenz and Dahmen are set to appear in court for pre-trial May 6 and jury trial May 16.