A Mountain Home woman says she was left with thousands of dollars in damage after entering into a rent-to-own agreement for her trailer with Brian Lemke and Allysen Armenta, the couple charged in connection with the death of the ir 12-day-old baby.WATCH: Owner describes conditions she saw after repossessing the trailer Trailer owner details damage after deal with parents charged in infant's deathMegan Rush Abbott says she purchased the trailer to help a family member, but after that family member moved out, she decided to enter into a rent-to-own agreement with Armenta and Lemke in May 2025.PREVIOUS REPORTING | Nampa mother accused in infant's death intends to plead guilty; details of agreement unknownAccording to Abbott, she still owed about $38,000 on the trailer. Under the agreement, Armenta would make monthly payments while Abbott continued paying the loan, with plans for Armenta to refinance and take ownership after a balloon payment due in October.Abbott says the refinance never happened.Instead, she says communication with Armenta stopped in December after she reached out to check on her well-being."I just said, like, 'Where's my trailer?'" Abbott said. She then sent a friend to check the Caldwell location where the trailer was supposed to remain under the agreement.When it wasn't there, she reported it stolen."I called the police and reported it stolen, and they figured out she was in jail," Abbott said.Abbott explained she later worked with Armenta's aunt to locate the trailer at a property in Nampa.By then, Armenta and Lemke had been arrested in connection with the death of their 12-day-old baby. Prosecutors allege the infant was moved from the trailer to a home on the property.PREVIOUS REPORTING | Please put eyes on this baby: Adoptive and foster mothers' warnings before Nampa baby's deathAbbott says learning a newborn had been living in the trailer was heartbreaking. "What the worst 12 days of his life. Like, that is insane."When Abbott regained possession of the trailer, she says she found extensive damage inside."There was stacks of trash. There were stacks of blankets and mattresses that were ripped up from dogs... There was urine. There was poop everywhere. I couldn't even go in there."Abbott says repairsincluding replacing flooring and fixing other damagecost about $10,000.She later sold the trailer for $22,500, but says she still had to pay thousands of dollars to cover the remaining balance on the loan."I'm just left... holding the bag."Abbott said she wanted the damage investigated as a crime, arguing the trailer had been intentionally damaged.Instead, she says she was told the dispute was a civil matter because of the rent-to-own agreement.Matthew Taylor, managing partner of Taylor Law Offices, explains the distinction often comes down to intent."In the criminal realm, you have statutes like malicious destruction of property, but that requires a certain intent, and it also has a different standard," Taylor said.Taylor notes contract disputes and property damage claims are often handled in civil court unless there is evidence someone intentionally committed a crime."Sometimes there's a Venn diagram overlap of the two of them, but in this case if you have a messy home, that may not result in criminal charges," he said.Taylor emphasizes that anyone entering into a rent-to-own agreement should have an attorney review the contract beforehand to clearly define each party's responsibilities and expectations.Lemke and Armenta are facing several charges related to the death of their 12-day-old baby, including failure to report a death, destruction of evidence and injury to a child. The cause of the infant's death has not been determined.Lemke is expected back in court Friday for sentencing. Armenta is scheduled to enter a plea on June 30.For Canyon County happenings, news, and more join our Facebook Group: 2C Neighborhood News - Nampa, Caldwell, MiddletonThis story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. ...read more read less