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Drug probe turns up woman packed in dry ice

Along with body, police find swings, toy night-vision goggles, sake bottles

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  Body found in dry ice
March 10: A woman's body is found packed in dry ice in an alleged drug dealer's hotel suite. KNBC-TV's Vikki Vargas reports.

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updated 12:08 p.m. ET March 10, 2008

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. - A woman whose body was found packed in dry ice in a hotel room had outstanding warrants from drug charges in Colorado, records show.

Detectives found the body of Monique Felicia Trepp, 33, fully clothed inside a large Rubbermaid container late Thursday after arresting a guest at the Fairmont Newport Beach for investigation of selling and possessing cocaine, police Sgt. Evan Sailor said.

In 2005, Trepp was charged with several felonies in Colorado, including possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, court records showed.

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Her attorney there, Mark S. Rubinstein, said a much older man posted bail for Trepp, and she then disappeared.

An autopsy of Trepp was inconclusive but her death did not appear to be a homicide. Authorities were awaiting a toxicology report to determine the cause of death.

Along with Trepp's body, police found porch swings, toy night-vision goggles and large sake bottles with lamp sockets stuffed into their spouts in the room of Stephen David Royds.

Royds, 46, was booked Saturday afternoon at Orange County Jail in Santa Ana, where he was denied bail because of a possible probation violation, authorities said.

He was scheduled to be arraigned on the drug charges Monday. He has not been charged in connection with Trepp's death.

Court records showed that in 2002 Royds pleaded guilty to four felony drug charges in Orange County.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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