Police suspect Lenny Dykstra had crack-cocaine or meth as he faces drug charges after traffic stop
Pennsylvania State Police discovered hard drugs and paraphernalia during the New Year's Eve traffic stop that resulted in the arrest of former Major League Baseball star Lenny Dykstra.
As revealed in the criminal complaint obtained by the Daily Mail, state police witnessed Dykstra, the passenger, retrieve a 'pouch or purse-type container inside the glove box.'
'As the passenger [Dykstra] opened the pouch to confirm the presence of his identification and credit card, troopers observed, in plain view, a glass smoking device and a jar/container containing suspected narcotics,' read the criminal complaint provided to the Daily Mail.
An officer on the scene identified the substance as either crack-cocaine or methamphetamine, although no field test was conducted. As a result, Dykstra was formally charged for misdemeanor possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia, although he was not taken into custody. TMZ was the first to report the police suspicion of hard drugs.
Police originally pulled over the GMC Sierra shortly before midnight on State Route 507 after discovering its license plate wasn't registered to the vehicle, which allegedly struggled to 'maintain its lane of travel.'
The driver, Scranton resident Kevin Zelna, was ultimately taken into custody after allegedly refusing to cooperate with police.
Lenny Dykstra is seen in 2016 during the 30th celebration of the Mets' 1986 World Series title
Dykstra's attorney, Matthew Blit, has denied the allegations on his client's behalf.
'We firmly assert that the alleged narcotics did not belong to Lenny, who is currently recovering from a serious stroke,' the statement began. 'Lenny was not knowingly in possession of or under the influence of any narcotics on his person and was not taken into custody at the scene.
'The driver was arrested and taken into custody at the scene and accused of 17 counts, including being under the influence. Not Lenny,' the statement continued. 'Attorney Tom Mincer and our team remain steadfast in our commitment to absolving Lenny of all possession charges.'
The speedy centerfielder famously won a World Series as a member of the New York Mets in 1986 and later a National League pennant with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1993.
He has been embroiled in several off-field scandals since the end of his career. In 2007, for instance, he was named in the Mitchell Report, alleging he used steroids. He has since admitted to using the performance-enhancing drugs.
Dykstra may be best known for his years as the tobacco-chewing Phillies centerfielder
Dykstra later filed for bankruptcy before being charged with grand theft auto in 2011 and then pleading guilty to bankruptcy fraud in 2012. He served time in prison and was released in 2013.
Five years later, he faced a charge of third-degree terroristic threats after being accused of threatening to kill an Uber driver in New Jersey.
Police allegedly found cocaine, MDMA, and marijuana in Dykstra's belongings, but a judge granted the defense’s motion to suppress the drug evidence because it had been unjustly seized. He pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, paid a $125 fine and the charges were dropped.
Dykstra suffered a stroke in February of 2024, but has since recovered.
