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Missoula daycare worker caught smoking meth on job changes plea to guilty

Posted at 5:05 PM, Jan 22, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-22 19:45:01-05

MISSOULA – A YMCA daycare worker accused of smoking meth while inside the building has pleaded guilty to three different felonies.

In April 2018, a coworker of 30-year-old Autumn Sienna Heinz reported to police that she had found Heinz in a cabinet with what she believed to be meth.

Missoula Police were then called to the YMCA daycare and found meth and meth paraphernalia in what court documents describe as a “drug den” inside the daycare center.

The daycare building was then tested for meth residue. Those tests came back positive in all areas of the building.

Heinz had attempted to conceal smoking meth in the building by blowing it in the vent fans, which instead spread the residue all over the building.

The building had to be gutted, according to Missoula Deputy County Attorney James McCubbin who also estimated the restitution cost in the $100,000-range.

Heinz says that she knew what she was doing was putting children in danger.

“As I recall, you had some kind of cubby hole in the counter or something,” Judge Robert “Dusty” Deschamps asked her in court Tuesday.

“Yes,” Heinz replied.

“Are you aware that methamphetamine fumes can be very harmful to people, including children?”

“Yes sir.”

“And you chose to do this anyway?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Knowing the risk to them.”

“Yes, sir.”

Heinz had an open plea, which means there was no agreement between her lawyer and the state when she made the change. Her sentencing is set for Feb. 26.