Woman arrested with man in trunk pleads not guilty

Published 10:27 am Friday, May 20, 2016

The woman accused of drug possession and driving a car when police stopped it and found a man in the trunk and a child in the backseat has plead not guilty.

Nicole Mae Belden, 27, of Austin is facing two charges of felony fifth-degree drug possession and storing meth paraphernalia in the presence of a child.

At about 10:16 p.m. on May 7, Austin police officers responded to the 1000 block of Second Avenue Northeast for a report of two people passing a glass pipe inside a black 2002 Lincoln.

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While searching the vehicle, officers heard a voice coming from the trunk. They opened it and found Robert Ludvik, 25, of Alden, Minnesota, inside. He appeared to be under the influence of drugs and was arrested on a probation violation. He is awaiting possible charges of fifth-degree drug possession.

The driver, Belden, and a child in the backseat, were inside the car, according to court records.

Officers saw a glass pipe near the center console and gear shift, and they observed Belden appearing to be on drugs. She consented to a search of the vehicle and officers located several plastic bags, which tested positive for methamphetamine. An electronic scale was also found in the center console.

K-9 Sonic was called to the scene. Belden denied there were more drugs in the vehicle and said the plastic bags did not belong to her. Sonic alerted to the odor of narcotics near the driver’s door.

Belden was arrested and the child was turned over to relatives.

Sonic also found a small amount of marijuana and a marijuana pipe under the driver’s seat. Belden was transported to the Mower County Jail, where another plastic bag was found with 0.27 grams of meth.

The pre-trial for Belden is set for Oct. 27 and the jury trial is set for Nov. 7.