Two Austin police officers stopped a driver early Sunday morning and discovered a mobile methamphetamine lab in the trunk of the driver’s car.

Monday, November 06, 2000

Two Austin police officers stopped a driver early Sunday morning and discovered a mobile methamphetamine lab in the trunk of the driver’s car.

Renaldo Drees, 21, and James Troy Johnson, 34, both of Austin, were arrested and jailed on charges of conspiring to manufacture methamphetamine drugs.

According to an Austin Police Department report, an officer observed Drees leave the Downtown Plaza parking lot area at 1:10 a.m. Sunday, driving a vehicle with a loud muffler.

Two officers followed the vehicle until it stopped and parked in the 600 block of Second Avenue SW.

A check revealed Drees was driving after suspension for unpaid fines and officers both noticed a strong smell of marijuana coming from Drees’ vehicle.

The driver refused the officers’ request to search the vehicle and Officer Matt Holten and his canine partner, Rocket, were called to assist. The dog immediately hit on the vehicle and officers began a search in earnest, discovering drug paraphernalia and other materials.

A bottle of Sudafed cold medicine, Coleman fuel and lithium batteries also were discovered.

When the car’s trunk was opened, a Pyrex dish containing a red paste and emitting a strong ammonia smell also was discovered. The paste tested positive for methamphetamine.

Police theorized Drees and Johnson were driving around with the dish full of the methamphetamine paste in the final stages of cooking before being ingested.

The car was impounded and the driver and his passenger jailed, pending a court appearance, according to the report.

Rochester man arrested

Austin police received a tip that a wanted felon was at a southeast residence.

When they went to the residence, they didn’t find the wanted felon, but they arrested another person for possession of heroin and methamphetamine drugs.

The incident occurred 6:12 p.m. Saturday.

According to an Austin Police Department report, an anonymous tipster called the Law Enforcement Center to say that Jason Waters, identified as the wanted felon, was at an apartment in the 200 block of 12th Street SE.

When officers went to the apartment, a man answered the door and told the officers Waters had been at the apartment, but was not there at that time.

In plain view, the officers observed drug paraphernalia and immediately questioned the man identified as Douglas Schuweiler, 19, of Rochester.

In the course of providing identification, Schuweiler displayed a billfold containing two plastic bags, which later tested positive for heroin and methamphetamine.

The renter of the apartment, also present during the arrest, Patrick Smith, also confirmed Waters’ presence at the residence, but only Schuweiler was arrested.

Vehicle flips over

The driver of a car and its passenger escaped serious injury when the vehicle overturned on a curve on 33rd Street SW near the 31st Street intersection.,

According to an Austin Police Department report, the driver was identified as Amanda Ryburn, 19, of Oakland. Her passenger was identified as Aida Ibarra, 15, of Oakland.

The mishap occurred at 6:28 p.m. Saturday.

Officers observed 29.9 feet of skid marks before the vehicle apparently slid sideways in the roadway and flipped over into the ditch.

When officers arrived, they found Ryburn and Ibarra sitting in a ditch, being attended by passers-by.

Ibarra was taken by a Gold Cross Ambulance Service crew to Austin Medical Center’s emergency room for observation.

Ryburn did not require medical attention.