WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:07.000 The story you are about to hear is true. 00:12.720 --> 00:19.720 The names have been changed to protect the innocent. 00:24.600 --> 00:28.320 You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a robbery detail. 00:28.320 --> 00:33.000 A pair of bandits are staging a rapid-fire campaign of holdups in your city. 00:33.000 --> 00:36.800 In 21 days, 11 food markets have been robbed. 00:36.800 --> 00:38.420 The holdups go on. 00:38.420 --> 00:40.840 The suspects are still unidentified. 00:40.840 --> 00:47.840 Your job? Get them. 00:49.840 --> 00:52.520 The documented drama of an actual crime. 00:52.520 --> 00:56.880 For the next 30 minutes in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department, 00:56.880 --> 01:00.440 you will travel step-by-step on the side of the law through an actual case 01:00.440 --> 01:03.200 transcribed from official police files. 01:03.200 --> 01:06.440 From beginning to end, from crime to punishment, 01:06.440 --> 01:13.440 Dragnet is the story of your police force in action. 01:14.520 --> 01:19.040 It was Tuesday, September 26th. It was hot in Los Angeles. We were working the day watch out of 01:19.040 --> 01:24.280 robbery detail. My partner is Ben Romero, the boss is Captain Didion. My name is Friday. 01:24.280 --> 01:30.400 It was 9.18 a.m. when I got to the record bureau, Lieutenant Cunningham's office. 01:30.400 --> 01:31.240 Joe, what's doing? 01:31.240 --> 01:35.680 Oh, not too much. I've got a job you can do for us, Frank. I'd like to have it as soon as you can get it out. 01:35.680 --> 01:36.800 Oh, what's it about? 01:36.800 --> 01:40.720 Oh, these market bandits. We've already gotten out a dozen teletypes and bulletins on them. 01:40.720 --> 01:42.600 I'd like to get out some mimeographs too, if we can. 01:42.600 --> 01:46.440 General distribution, huh? What do you want on them? 01:46.440 --> 01:48.440 Well, I'd better lay out the whole thing for you. 01:48.440 --> 01:52.720 A lot of the copies are going to the retail grocers association, all their members. 01:52.720 --> 01:54.720 No luck with those two thieves so far? 01:54.720 --> 01:59.440 No. I know closer than we were three weeks ago. Figure this ought to plug another loophole. 01:59.440 --> 02:01.440 How many copies you figure you want on this? About a thousand? 02:01.440 --> 02:03.440 Yeah, that's fine. That ought to do it. 02:03.440 --> 02:08.240 All right. Okay, now what do you want to go on it, Joe? 02:08.240 --> 02:11.800 Well, you better lead off with the first job they pulled. That was on the third of this month. 02:11.800 --> 02:15.960 Makes it a little better than three weeks now. They hit a supermarket out on Pico. 02:15.960 --> 02:17.000 Okay. 02:17.000 --> 02:18.520 Got it? 02:18.520 --> 02:23.240 Ever since, they've averaged about three jobs a week. We know they're hitting nothing but supermarkets. 02:23.240 --> 02:26.360 All of them on main thoroughfares, no small neighborhood stuff. 02:26.360 --> 02:27.560 You got it. 02:27.560 --> 02:32.360 So far, they've confined their operations to the 77th Street Division in the county territories, 02:32.360 --> 02:34.760 generally the south end of town. 02:34.760 --> 02:37.920 They're two men, and they got a pretty well-established M.O. 02:37.920 --> 02:40.640 Well-established M.O., okay. 02:40.640 --> 02:46.080 They're hitting in the morning hours, usually from the time the markets open up until around noontime. 02:46.080 --> 02:52.360 They use a stolen car. 95% of the time, a car stolen from the industrial area. 02:52.360 --> 02:56.960 Cars they steal for the jobs are always either a Pontiac or an Ash. 02:56.960 --> 03:01.840 We also know they're dropping the stolen cars within a short radius of the hold-up scene, 03:01.840 --> 03:03.680 about a half a dozen blocks or so. 03:03.680 --> 03:08.880 In some instances, they use a second automobile or public transportation, some kind of bus or streetcar, 03:08.880 --> 03:10.920 you know, to make their getaway after they drop the stolen car. 03:10.920 --> 03:11.680 Just a minute, Joe. 03:11.680 --> 03:13.360 I'm sorry. Going a little fast, huh? 03:13.360 --> 03:15.560 Yeah. Okay, I got it. 03:15.560 --> 03:18.880 Okay. Well, let's see. 03:18.880 --> 03:20.120 All right, go ahead now. 03:20.120 --> 03:24.080 They usually pull up and park directly in front of the market that they're going to hold up. 03:24.080 --> 03:27.520 One of the men always remains in the car behind the wheel. Apparently, it's always the same man. 03:27.520 --> 03:28.960 Hmm, he has a description. 03:28.960 --> 03:34.400 Meager. We know his good size, M.W.A., fairly large build. 03:34.400 --> 03:37.880 Here's about the best description we've been able to piece together on the second man, 03:37.880 --> 03:39.280 picked up a little bit from each victim. 03:39.280 --> 03:40.400 Hmm. 03:40.400 --> 03:46.160 Uh, second man described his M.W.A. also, about five foot eight inches, medium build, 03:46.160 --> 03:54.440 155 to 160 pounds, always wears a hat, round suit, rough material of some kind, maybe tweed. 03:54.440 --> 03:55.280 Want to smoke, Frank? 03:55.280 --> 03:57.480 Huh? Smoke? Oh, no, no. 03:57.480 --> 03:58.800 All right. 03:58.800 --> 04:05.680 Uh, when he enters the market for the hold-up, the second man always holds a white handkerchief, 04:05.680 --> 04:08.680 holds a white handkerchief to his face as if he's wiping his eyes, 04:08.680 --> 04:10.840 keeps most of his face covered with it during the robbery. 04:10.840 --> 04:14.160 He's armed with a nickel-plated revolver, possibly.38 caliber. 04:14.160 --> 04:16.840 We know the jobs are well-cased because in almost every instance, 04:16.840 --> 04:19.080 the suspect goes directly to the manager of the market. 04:19.080 --> 04:21.800 Goes directly to the manager, huh? 04:21.800 --> 04:26.480 He hands the manager a brown paper sack, tells him to put the money in it, and then he takes off. 04:26.480 --> 04:29.880 So far, he's never attempted any rough stuff, no gunplay. 04:29.880 --> 04:34.240 On three occasions, when the suspects got only small amounts of money at one market, 04:34.240 --> 04:38.640 they hit again in 15 or 20 minutes at another store in the same general area. 04:38.640 --> 04:42.440 They never make any attempt to disguise or conceal a license number on the getaway car. 04:42.440 --> 04:46.440 As I say, they always abandon the car a short distance from the hold-up scene. 04:46.440 --> 04:48.760 Yeah, I see, uh... 04:48.760 --> 04:50.880 Okay, I got it. 04:50.880 --> 04:54.360 Well, that's about all of it, Frank. I guess you can boil that down into some kind of shape, huh? 04:54.360 --> 04:56.520 Yeah, okay. I'll have it typed up in the form. 04:56.520 --> 04:59.680 I'll get you a copy before we make the run and see if it's okay with you. 04:59.680 --> 05:01.480 Fine, thanks. 05:01.480 --> 05:02.480 It's not going so good, huh? 05:02.480 --> 05:04.280 No, it isn't, Frank. Pretty slow. 05:04.280 --> 05:08.560 I've been on top of the thing for a couple of weeks now. We're still looking for some kind of a break. 05:08.560 --> 05:12.800 I understand Glenn Chandler from your office took off for some fishing down in Mexico, huh? 05:12.800 --> 05:13.760 Yeah. 05:13.760 --> 05:17.600 He's not doing bad from out here. I got a card from him yesterday. He's down by Keno Bay. 05:17.600 --> 05:20.760 He put the bite on me to send him a dozen mutton plugs. 05:20.760 --> 05:22.120 Yeah. The fish must be hitting pretty good down there. 05:22.120 --> 05:23.320 That's what he says, yeah. 05:23.320 --> 05:27.400 Those big brown sea bass, especially, I wouldn't mind getting in a couple of days down there myself. 05:27.400 --> 05:30.040 Excuse me. 05:30.040 --> 05:32.120 Record Bureau, Cunningham. 05:32.120 --> 05:33.360 Yes, a minute. You, Joe. 05:33.360 --> 05:35.920 Thanks, Frank. 05:35.920 --> 05:36.920 Yeah. 05:36.920 --> 05:38.320 Oh, yeah, Ben. 05:38.320 --> 05:39.560 Glenn. 05:39.560 --> 05:40.400 Am I right? 05:40.400 --> 05:43.400 Yeah, okay. Right away. Yeah, fine. 05:43.400 --> 05:45.640 Check that for me later, Frank. Might be a little change. 05:45.640 --> 05:46.240 What's the matter? 05:46.240 --> 05:47.840 Market bandits. They hit again. 05:47.840 --> 05:52.760 9.38 a.m. 05:52.760 --> 05:56.200 Ben and I got in the car and drove to the scene of the bandits' latest holdup, 05:56.200 --> 06:00.160 a new supermarket out on Slawson near the intersection of South Broadway. 06:00.160 --> 06:03.640 After interviewing the manager of the store and all available witnesses to the robbery, 06:03.640 --> 06:06.360 there wasn't much doubt about the identity of the suspects. 06:06.360 --> 06:10.680 The description and MO fitted perfectly with that of the two men who'd been staging a whirlwind campaign 06:10.680 --> 06:14.920 of market robberies throughout the south end of the city for the past three weeks. 06:14.920 --> 06:18.360 The approach and execution of the holdup was the same in every detail, 06:18.360 --> 06:23.400 even to the stolen car they'd used, which was found abandoned a short distance from the robbery scene. 06:23.400 --> 06:28.120 There was only one deviation, and it was the first break we'd had in the case since it started. 06:28.120 --> 06:34.360 A woman customer at the market, a Mrs. Thomas Swanson, saw the holdup man as he left the store and ran to the getaway car. 06:34.360 --> 06:37.800 She told us that the car door apparently stuck when he tried to pull it open, 06:37.800 --> 06:42.840 and that he took away the handkerchief which he'd held to his face in order to pull the door open with both hands. 06:42.840 --> 06:45.560 During those few seconds, she got a good look at him. 06:45.560 --> 06:51.080 After taking the crime report and making our preliminary investigation, we brought Mrs. Swanson downtown. 06:51.080 --> 06:57.360 We had her check through mug books of all recent parolees from the state penitentiary, all ex-convicts with robbery records. 06:57.360 --> 07:01.760 After a couple of hours of checking mug shots, she couldn't seem to make positive identification. 07:01.760 --> 07:06.440 I'm very sorry, officer. It just gets a little confusing after a while looking at all these pictures. 07:06.440 --> 07:11.360 I did get a good look at the man's face. I just can't settle on one of these pictures, so... 07:11.360 --> 07:15.800 Well, from what you did see of Mrs. Swanson, the lower part of the man's face especially, 07:15.800 --> 07:17.720 can you find a good likeness in any of these? 07:17.720 --> 07:24.240 Well, yes, I can find good likenesses for some of his features, but none of them are all together in any one of these pictures here. 07:24.240 --> 07:26.200 Like the mouth and chin on this man here. 07:26.200 --> 07:27.480 Yes, ma'am. Is that pretty close? 07:27.480 --> 07:32.440 Most exactly, I'd say. And then the nose on this one here, it's the very same. 07:32.440 --> 07:35.720 I just haven't seen any picture that fits them all together. You know what I mean, don't you? 07:35.720 --> 07:39.160 Yes, ma'am, I understand. Now, these five pictures here that you've picked out, 07:39.160 --> 07:42.360 you pretty much say that they incorporate all the features of the man that you saw getting in that crime? 07:42.360 --> 07:49.360 That's right, officer. This man here, and this one too, I'd say the lower part of his face was exactly like that. 07:49.360 --> 07:53.960 The small mouth and the stache just like that, and the chin pointed like on this man. 07:53.960 --> 07:57.240 And then the upper part of his face, would you say it resembles these others here? 07:57.240 --> 08:04.240 Yes. These three here, just the upper part. You see, around the eyes, the forehead. I'd say that was very close. 08:04.240 --> 08:05.680 Mm-hmm. 08:05.680 --> 08:10.560 Now, just put the two sets of pictures together, I think you'd have the man perfectly. 08:10.560 --> 08:15.280 Sorry, I can't be more help to you, as I say, looking at all these books of pictures. It gets a little confusing. 08:15.280 --> 08:17.600 Well, you've given us quite a bit of help, ma'am. Thank you very much. 08:17.600 --> 08:19.200 Not at all. Is there anything else? 08:19.200 --> 08:24.080 No, thank you. No, right now, we've got your address and telephone. We'll probably be contacting you in a day or two. 08:24.080 --> 08:27.400 If you'd like to wait right here, we'll make arrangements to have one of the officers drive you back to your home, all right? 08:27.400 --> 08:28.800 All right. Thank you very much. 08:28.800 --> 08:30.720 You're welcome. Goodbye, ma'am. We'll be talking to you. 08:30.720 --> 08:32.720 Okay, you have to bye, officer. 08:34.840 --> 08:35.760 What do you think, Joe? 08:35.760 --> 08:39.880 Well, it's more than we had yesterday. Her description's the best we've got on the guy so far. 08:39.880 --> 08:43.000 How about getting a composite picture made up from the mug shots you picked out? 08:43.000 --> 08:48.080 That's what I was thinking. You want to duck in and get somebody to drive Miss Swanson home, I want to go in here in the captain's office, Phil. 08:48.080 --> 08:48.680 Yeah, okay. 08:48.680 --> 08:50.680 Thanks, man. 08:50.680 --> 08:52.680 How'd you make that? 08:52.680 --> 08:54.680 Well, could have been worse, Captain. 08:54.680 --> 08:56.680 Women find anything in the mug books? 08:56.680 --> 08:59.680 No positive identification. She picked out five of them she thought were close. 08:59.680 --> 09:03.680 I think maybe put off over at the crime lab, I ought to be able to make up a pretty good composite from them. 09:03.680 --> 09:05.680 Mm-hmm. She's fairly positive about the man's description. 09:05.680 --> 09:09.680 Yeah, seems to have a clear idea. Good composite ought to help us quite a bit. 09:09.680 --> 09:11.680 You get this new description that Mimmi Gref you're having made up? 09:11.680 --> 09:13.680 No, not yet. I'm going to see Frank about it in a minute. 09:13.680 --> 09:14.680 Hi, Skipper. 09:14.680 --> 09:15.680 Ben. 09:15.680 --> 09:18.680 Got a hold of Jess Gonzalez, Joe. He's going to drive Miss Swanson home. 09:18.680 --> 09:22.680 Fine. Did you ask him if he checked on that last run we made through the stats office? 09:22.680 --> 09:26.680 Yeah, he picked it up. He and Frank Estrada are going to start checking the names this morning. 09:26.680 --> 09:28.680 It's not much of a list. I'm pretty well picked over already. 09:28.680 --> 09:32.680 So, all you got from the witnesses out there this morning? Description from this Miss Swanson? 09:32.680 --> 09:35.680 Yeah, it's about it. Rest of it was their usual M.O. 09:35.680 --> 09:40.680 Swanson woman was the only one who got a good look at the guy when he took the handkerchief away from his face. 09:40.680 --> 09:41.680 How about the getaway car, they found? 09:41.680 --> 09:44.680 Same as the others. Leighton Prince checked it over. It's clean. 09:44.680 --> 09:47.680 Well, two thieves had their share of luck when we get eyes. 09:47.680 --> 09:50.680 How about Metro Division, Captain? Can we get any help out there? 09:50.680 --> 09:51.680 What do you got in mind? 09:51.680 --> 09:58.680 Well, we know the take that the two thieves got in that job this morning was pretty small for them, $340. 09:58.680 --> 10:04.680 From their M.O. in the past, we know whenever they get a small take on a job, they usually hit another place fast. 10:04.680 --> 10:11.680 They work in a fairly concentrated area down the south end. They only go after big markets on the main thoroughfares. 10:11.680 --> 10:18.680 Well, I was thinking if we could get some help from Metro, put maybe 15 or 20 crews down in the area for the next couple of days, might stand a good chance of grabbing them. 10:18.680 --> 10:23.680 We were talking to Dick Tiernan over at the Sheriff's office, Kipper. He says he could put some of his men down in that area, too. 10:23.680 --> 10:27.680 Cover the county on the fringes, the territory around there. What do you think? 10:27.680 --> 10:34.680 I'm fine. If I can get Stevens at Metro right now, set it up. Figure about 20 crews, is that right? 10:34.680 --> 10:37.680 Just about, yeah. With any kind of luck at all, we ought to land them. 10:37.680 --> 10:39.680 Sure worth a try. 10:39.680 --> 10:41.680 Lieutenant Stevens, please. 10:41.680 --> 10:43.680 Yeah, Joe, this is Harry Didion. 10:43.680 --> 10:47.680 Fine, fine. We've got a little stakeout problem here. How about using some of your men? 10:47.680 --> 10:49.680 About 30. 10:49.680 --> 10:51.680 All right, I'll settle for 25. 10:51.680 --> 10:52.680 Okay? 10:52.680 --> 10:53.680 Yeah. 10:53.680 --> 10:56.680 South end of town. No market bandage. 10:56.680 --> 10:59.680 Fine, would you have them report here at Ravie, 7 o'clock tomorrow morning? 10:59.680 --> 11:02.680 All right. Thanks a lot. 11:02.680 --> 11:05.680 It's all set. You've got 25 men, 7 o'clock tomorrow morning. 11:05.680 --> 11:06.680 Okay, Scabber. 11:06.680 --> 11:10.680 We'll give you a dozen teams to start with, and the dollars and the strata are one more. 11:10.680 --> 11:12.680 How many do you figure working from the sheriff's office? 11:12.680 --> 11:14.680 About four or five teams, I imagine. 11:14.680 --> 11:19.680 All right, it's your operation. You two will be in charge on our end. You run the show, you brief the men. If you need anything, call me. 11:19.680 --> 11:20.680 Right. 11:20.680 --> 11:23.680 How about the overall plan, Skipper? You got any special ideas on it? 11:23.680 --> 11:24.680 Just one. 11:24.680 --> 11:25.680 Yeah? 11:25.680 --> 11:27.680 Get them. 11:28.680 --> 11:34.680 1 18 p.m. We got the revised description of one of the holdup men into Lieutenant Frank Cunningham at the record bureau. 11:34.680 --> 11:41.680 He told us a thousand copies of the special mimeograph form containing all available information on the two market bandits would be ready for us that night. 11:41.680 --> 11:51.680 We met with Sergeant Puttoff, the artist at the crime lab, and he went to work making up a composite picture of one of the suspects from the mugshot selected by the robbery witness, Mrs. Swanson. 11:51.680 --> 12:00.680 When the picture was completed, we had Mrs. Swanson check it for similarity to the actual holdup man, and then we brought it back to the record bureau where a thousand copies were made of it. 12:00.680 --> 12:08.680 The pictures, along with the mimeograph forms, were sent immediately to the retail grocers association for distribution to all market operators throughout the city. 12:08.680 --> 12:16.680 Additional copies of the picture and the information sheet were given to each man who was to work the stakeout when we met in the squad room at seven o'clock the next morning. 12:16.680 --> 12:21.680 Besides the men from Metropolitan Division and the men from robbery who were going to work with us, 12:21.680 --> 12:26.680 Lieutenant Dick Ternan and Sergeant Dave Terry from the sheriff's office were also there for the briefing. 12:26.680 --> 12:30.680 Well, briefly, that's a rundown on the two suspects and the M.O. they follow. 12:30.680 --> 12:35.680 It's the same information and description on them you'll find in those mimeo forms we handed out. 12:35.680 --> 12:37.680 Joe, you want to take over and give them their assignment? 12:37.680 --> 12:39.680 Yeah. 12:39.680 --> 12:47.680 Well, if you'll just take a look at this pinup map here for a minute, I'll try and brief you on how the stakeout's going to go, the way we got it figured anyway. 12:47.680 --> 12:51.680 We've worked out a plan we think ought to be the easiest and the best way to work it. 12:51.680 --> 12:55.680 If any of you have any suggestions as we go along, we'd sure like to have them. 12:55.680 --> 13:01.680 All right. Now, as you can see from the map here, the stakeout area is in the south end. 13:01.680 --> 13:03.680 It runs from, can you all see it from there? 13:03.680 --> 13:04.680 Yeah. 13:04.680 --> 13:12.680 It runs from Santa Fe Avenue over here on the east to Vermont Avenue on the west, running north and south. 13:12.680 --> 13:18.680 Now, we'll have to cover from Santa Barbara Avenue on the north down to Manchester. 13:18.680 --> 13:22.680 That'll be the southern boundary right there. That's the area the thieves have been working. 13:22.680 --> 13:25.680 And we're going to have 14 of our own crews covering that area. 13:25.680 --> 13:30.680 And Dick Tiernan and Dave Terry from the sheriff's office will have their men covering adjoining county territory. 13:30.680 --> 13:31.680 All right. 13:31.680 --> 13:35.680 Now, we've broken the map down into equal units, as you can see here. 13:35.680 --> 13:41.680 Each unit will be covered by one car, and each of you will be assigned a unit number. 13:41.680 --> 13:46.680 Romero and myself will be in 80K. We'll have a roving unit. We'll cover the entire area. 13:46.680 --> 13:50.680 You'll have three-way radios in your car, so you'll be able to contact us directly if you have to. 13:50.680 --> 13:56.680 Now, if you'll check the map again, you can see these green pins we've placed here. 13:56.680 --> 13:59.680 Each one of them represents a market robbery. 13:59.680 --> 14:02.680 Now, notice that every one of them is on a main thoroughfare. 14:02.680 --> 14:07.680 Manchester, South Broadway, Vernon, South Hoover. 14:07.680 --> 14:11.680 I don't have to tell you that that's where you'll have to keep a sharp watch on the main street. 14:11.680 --> 14:17.680 Each of the individual units here on the map will be covered by one car, as I said. 14:17.680 --> 14:22.680 Each one's roughly nine blocks square. Now, you'll be responsible for the area assigned to you. 14:22.680 --> 14:27.680 We haven't got too much time, so before we go down the list to assign the areas, have you got any questions? 14:27.680 --> 14:28.680 Any questions at all? 14:28.680 --> 14:33.680 Yeah. Suppose there's a 211 call in somebody else's area. 14:33.680 --> 14:36.680 I mean, other than the one you're assigned to. Do we leave our area and head over there? 14:36.680 --> 14:38.680 No, Jess. I meant to bring that up. 14:38.680 --> 14:43.680 If there's a robbery call in somebody else's area, stay put, till you get a call to lend a hand. 14:43.680 --> 14:44.680 Anything else? 14:44.680 --> 14:48.680 Yeah. How about the managers of these markets? They've been briefed on a stakeout. 14:48.680 --> 14:50.680 They know we're going to be covering the area. 14:50.680 --> 14:54.680 Yeah. They've all been alerted. Now, in case of a holdup, they might try to contact you directly. 14:54.680 --> 14:57.680 They'll be looking for you. You'll be looking for them. 14:57.680 --> 14:59.680 That it, Bob? That covers for you. 14:59.680 --> 15:04.680 Well, yeah. I'm just wondering about this number two suspect. The one who drives the getaway car? 15:04.680 --> 15:05.680 Yeah. 15:05.680 --> 15:09.680 Well, it says here on the dope sheet, number one suspect carries a nickel-plated revolver. 15:09.680 --> 15:12.680 Now, how about number two? He carry a gun? 15:12.680 --> 15:17.680 Well, I wish I could answer that. We don't know. All the information we got on him is on the sheet right there. 15:17.680 --> 15:23.680 I see. Well, they never try any rough stuff anyway, do they? No gunplay. They never hurt anyone. 15:23.680 --> 15:26.680 No, not yet. Don't let them make you the first. 15:26.680 --> 15:36.680 7.30 a.m. We finished handing out the assignments and the men left to take up their stakeout positions in the south end of the city. 15:36.680 --> 15:43.680 Two men to a team, each team in a three-way radio car, each car to patrol a designated nine-square block unit. 15:43.680 --> 15:47.680 There were 20 such units within the frame of the overall stakeout area. 15:47.680 --> 15:56.680 At the same time, cruiser cars from the sheriff's office operating on their own radio setup began patrolling the fringe positions which fell in county territory. 15:56.680 --> 16:02.680 Through Control One at our communications division, we kept in continual contact with them. 16:02.680 --> 16:08.680 8 a.m. All the cars were in position, each of them patrolling their individual nine-square block unit. 16:08.680 --> 16:13.680 The first two hours passed. No reports, no sign of the market bandits. 16:13.680 --> 16:21.680 Between 10 a.m. and noon, half a dozen possible suspects were stopped and questioned by different teams and then brought to the 77th Street Division for processing. 16:21.680 --> 16:23.680 All of them were eliminated. 16:23.680 --> 16:26.680 The afternoon of the first day went pretty much the same. 16:26.680 --> 16:33.680 We had shakedowns on four parked cars in the area and more shakedowns on possible suspects. Nothing materialized. 16:33.680 --> 16:37.680 The next morning, Ben and I along with the other 32 men in the stakeout picked up where we left off. 16:37.680 --> 16:40.680 Again, no sign of the suspects, no reports. 16:40.680 --> 16:47.680 The morning of the third day, the stakeout detail met in the squad room as usual and then left to take up their regular assigned positions. 16:47.680 --> 16:48.680 7.35 a.m. 16:48.680 --> 16:50.680 How about it, Joe? You ready to go? 16:50.680 --> 16:52.680 Yeah, just a minute. 16:52.680 --> 16:54.680 Okay, let's go. 16:54.680 --> 16:56.680 I'll get it. 16:56.680 --> 16:58.680 Robbery Friday. 16:58.680 --> 16:59.680 Yeah. 16:59.680 --> 17:00.680 Where? 17:00.680 --> 17:01.680 When was that? 17:01.680 --> 17:02.680 Yeah, right away. 17:02.680 --> 17:04.680 Oh, come on, we gotta hurry. 17:04.680 --> 17:05.680 What is it? 17:05.680 --> 17:08.680 Market bandits. Maybe we got them. 17:08.680 --> 17:09.680 7.50 a.m. 17:09.680 --> 17:13.680 Ben and I arrived at the intersection of 58th and San Pedro streets. 17:13.680 --> 17:17.680 Two of our stakeout cruiser cars were pulled up at the southwest corner. 17:17.680 --> 17:21.680 One of the teams was Jess Gonzalez and his partner, Frank Estrada. 17:21.680 --> 17:23.680 Gonzalez briefed us on what had happened. 17:23.680 --> 17:26.680 He was the owner of the supermarket down the block in San Pedro. 17:26.680 --> 17:30.680 He was walking from his house to the store and he passed the corner here about 7.35 a.m. 17:30.680 --> 17:32.680 Had $340 on him. 17:32.680 --> 17:34.680 Probably yesterday's receipts from the store. 17:34.680 --> 17:36.680 They got him right up the street there, took every dollar of it. 17:36.680 --> 17:38.680 You sure it was the market, Ben? 17:38.680 --> 17:40.680 M.O. description, they check out all the way. 17:40.680 --> 17:43.680 We had two teams on it as soon as we got the word, located the holdup car a minute ago. 17:43.680 --> 17:44.680 Where is it? 17:44.680 --> 17:45.680 Down in Avalon Boulevard. 17:45.680 --> 17:46.680 How about the sleeves, Jess? 17:46.680 --> 18:06.680 Car was empty, no trace of them. 18:06.680 --> 18:08.680 Saturday, 8.05 a.m. 18:08.680 --> 18:12.680 The latest victim of the market bandits, the owner of the supermarket on San Pedro street, 18:12.680 --> 18:16.680 was taken to the 77th Street Division where the crime report was made. 18:16.680 --> 18:20.680 He told us that one of the men who robbed him bore a very close resemblance to the composite picture 18:20.680 --> 18:23.680 which we'd had drawn up of one of the suspects. 18:23.680 --> 18:27.680 We figured we missed grabbing the holdup men by a matter of minutes. 18:27.680 --> 18:32.680 Even though some of our units were in the general area at the time of the robbery, it did little good. 18:32.680 --> 18:39.680 The victim had delayed reporting the holdup for a full five minutes because the bandits had threatened to find him and kill him if he did. 18:39.680 --> 18:44.680 Despite the fact that they'd changed their M.O. to the extent of robbing the store owner on the street 18:44.680 --> 18:50.680 instead of in the market proper, we had no doubt that the same two men we were looking for had committed the holdup. 18:50.680 --> 18:55.680 The abandoned car which they'd used in the robbery was gone over for fingerprints, but it was clean. 18:55.680 --> 18:57.680 Meantime, the stakeout went on. 18:57.680 --> 19:00.680 Saturday passed. Sunday, Monday, nothing. 19:00.680 --> 19:03.680 No leads on the suspects, not a trace of them. 19:03.680 --> 19:05.680 Tuesday, the same thing all over again. 19:05.680 --> 19:08.680 The operation settled down to a dull routine. 19:08.680 --> 19:12.680 Tuesday night, we checked the closing of the last market in our stakeout area. 19:12.680 --> 19:16.680 Ten forty-five p.m. Ben and I drove back to the 77th Street Division. 19:16.680 --> 19:21.680 Every day seems to get a little longer. These lousy stakeouts here don't wear very well on me. 19:21.680 --> 19:26.680 Yeah, I don't know what the set-up's gonna be if we don't get a break pretty soon. We can't hang on to the gang for Metro Division forever. 19:26.680 --> 19:29.680 Joy has been a bad month. All I need now is a visit from the in-laws. 19:29.680 --> 19:31.680 Yeah, and do it up fine. 19:31.680 --> 19:33.680 You talked to Jess at dinner, didn't you? 19:33.680 --> 19:34.680 Yeah. 19:34.680 --> 19:38.680 What'd he say about those two men they picked up on South Main this afternoon? 19:38.680 --> 19:43.680 They brought them in for processing, checked them out, couldn't find anything wrong. Both of them clean. 19:45.680 --> 19:46.680 Go ahead. 19:48.680 --> 19:50.680 How about grabbing something to eat after we check out, huh? 19:50.680 --> 19:51.680 Okay. 19:51.680 --> 19:52.680 Wanna stop by Johnny Cokin's? 19:52.680 --> 19:56.680 What about a French dip sandwich? How's that sound? Haven't had one for a long time. 19:56.680 --> 19:57.680 All right, suits me. 19:58.680 --> 19:59.680 How was that? 20:01.680 --> 20:02.680 Oh, sorry, I don't. 20:02.680 --> 20:05.680 Oh, wait a minute, he just came in. It's for you, Friday. Turn in from the sheriff's office. 20:05.680 --> 20:06.680 Oh, yeah, thanks, Bob. 20:08.680 --> 20:09.680 Friday talking. 20:09.680 --> 20:10.680 Yeah, Dick. 20:10.680 --> 20:11.680 Just now? 20:11.680 --> 20:12.680 Mm-hmm. 20:12.680 --> 20:13.680 Mm-hmm. 20:13.680 --> 20:14.680 Yeah, we'll be over right away. 20:15.680 --> 20:16.680 You got anything? 20:16.680 --> 20:19.680 Market bandits pulled a holdup a couple of minutes ago in a store on Graham Avenue. 20:19.680 --> 20:20.680 It's out in county territory. 20:20.680 --> 20:21.680 Yeah? 20:21.680 --> 20:24.680 One of the sheriff's units took the call, chased the holdup car two miles. 20:24.680 --> 20:25.680 They get the things? 20:25.680 --> 20:26.680 Well, you're half right. 20:26.680 --> 20:27.680 Huh? 20:27.680 --> 20:28.680 I got one of them. 20:28.680 --> 20:35.680 Ten-fifty-two p.m. Ben and I drove to the sheriff's Firestone substation where the market bandit suspect was taken after his apprehension. 20:35.680 --> 20:40.680 When we got there, we talked to Deputy Sheriff Sergeant Eddie Jones and Mel Viney, who had made the arrest. 20:40.680 --> 20:44.680 They said they arrived at the scene of the holdup, the market, on Graham Avenue, 20:44.680 --> 20:48.680 a few moments after the bandits pulled away in their stolen Nash sedan. 20:48.680 --> 20:52.680 Jones and Viney gave chase, but when they finally forced the holdup car to a halt, 20:52.680 --> 20:54.680 the driver was the only one in the car. 20:54.680 --> 20:59.680 Somewhere along the route of the two-mile chase, the second robbery suspect had succeeded in jumping out, 20:59.680 --> 21:03.680 along with the loot taken in the robbery and making good his escape. 21:03.680 --> 21:06.680 A broadcast and a bulletin was gotten out immediately. 21:06.680 --> 21:08.680 The holdup suspect they'd apprehended had been fingerprinted, 21:08.680 --> 21:11.680 and they were checking on his identification downtown. 21:11.680 --> 21:13.680 Ben and I went in to talk to him. 21:13.680 --> 21:15.680 Jones and Viney stood by while we questioned him. 21:15.680 --> 21:17.680 I still don't know what it's all about. 21:17.680 --> 21:20.680 Property clerk will give you an itemizer receipt for everything you have on you. 21:20.680 --> 21:24.680 Take everything out of your wallet now. Put it out on the table. 21:24.680 --> 21:27.680 You're making a pretty big thing out of nothing, aren't you? 21:27.680 --> 21:28.680 I haven't done anything. 21:28.680 --> 21:31.680 You want to check those things from his wallet, Ben, the cards, some of those papers? 21:31.680 --> 21:33.680 Yeah. 21:37.680 --> 21:41.680 Is this your true name on this card here, Grant B. Jameson? Am I right? 21:41.680 --> 21:42.680 That's right. 21:42.680 --> 21:43.680 Is this your present address? 21:43.680 --> 21:44.680 Yeah. 21:44.680 --> 21:45.680 You ever been arrested before? 21:45.680 --> 21:46.680 No. 21:46.680 --> 21:50.680 Why do you ask that? 21:50.680 --> 21:53.680 It's not going to take too much time to find out. You might as well tell us. 21:53.680 --> 21:55.680 We still don't know what this is all about. 21:55.680 --> 21:58.680 I was speeding a little. That's all. I haven't done anything. 21:58.680 --> 22:01.680 No, you're kidding yourself, Jameson. We got everything on you that we need. 22:01.680 --> 22:04.680 What do you think you're going to gain by stalling us? 22:04.680 --> 22:06.680 You must have me mixed up with somebody else. 22:06.680 --> 22:08.680 I don't know what you're getting at. 22:08.680 --> 22:11.680 This card here you took out of your wallet, do you recognize it? 22:11.680 --> 22:12.680 Why? 22:12.680 --> 22:17.680 These names and addresses you've got jotted down on the back of it. Mind checking them out for her? 22:17.680 --> 22:18.680 I don't know what you mean. 22:18.680 --> 22:24.680 Take a look. These here. Whose addresses are they? Who are the people? 22:24.680 --> 22:32.680 Let's see. No, I don't think I even remember them. Just something I scribbled down, that's all. 22:32.680 --> 22:33.680 You don't even remember one of them? 22:33.680 --> 22:36.680 No, I don't think so. Why do you ask? 22:36.680 --> 22:38.680 Why don't you come off it, mister? 22:38.680 --> 22:39.680 What are you talking about? 22:39.680 --> 22:42.680 You know what we're talking about. You know it as well as you know your own name. 22:42.680 --> 22:47.680 Fourteen robberies down here in 28 days. You were picked up in the holdup car after the last try tonight. 22:47.680 --> 22:53.680 Your partner gets away. Now you go right on kidding yourself, Jameson. Play it real close. You'll see how far it gets you. 22:53.680 --> 22:57.680 I sure wish I knew what you were talking about. I don't know the thing about any robberies. 22:57.680 --> 23:02.680 All right, then you stand by, mister. You're going to know a lot more about him. You're going to know a lot in a hurry. 23:02.680 --> 23:03.680 Yeah? 23:03.680 --> 23:07.680 Just as soon as we pick up your partner. 23:07.680 --> 23:13.680 Twelve twenty a.m. We continued to question the suspect, Grant Jameson, but he refused to admit anything. 23:13.680 --> 23:16.680 Even the fact that he'd stolen the car that he'd been apprehended in. 23:16.680 --> 23:24.680 The only strong lead we could pick up from the articles found on his person was the list of four names and addresses jotted on the back of a card found on his wallet. 23:24.680 --> 23:33.680 Twelve thirty a.m. Ben and I left the substation and drove to the address Jameson had told us was his present residence, an apartment house on Vernon Avenue. 23:33.680 --> 23:37.680 The manager told us he'd moved at least a year ago without leaving a forwarding address. 23:37.680 --> 23:43.680 One a.m. We began checking out the list of four names and addresses which we'd found in the suspect's wallet. 23:43.680 --> 23:47.680 The first was a Jack Williams. His address a Spring Street Roaming House. 23:47.680 --> 23:51.680 The landlady told us he'd moved to Cleveland, Ohio three months before. 23:51.680 --> 23:56.680 The second was a John Gallagher. His address a third rate hotel in East Hollywood. 23:56.680 --> 23:58.680 He hadn't been registered there in the past two months. 23:58.680 --> 24:04.680 The third was a Matthew Sanford. His address turned out to be an apartment house in the Crenshaw district. 24:07.680 --> 24:10.680 One of the place the light on the mailbox is over here Joe. 24:10.680 --> 24:12.680 Yeah. Here you go. 24:12.680 --> 24:14.680 You see the name there? 24:14.680 --> 24:18.680 Yeah. Here it is. M.L. Sanford. That ought to be it. Apartment five. 24:18.680 --> 24:20.680 All right. Let's try it. 24:20.680 --> 24:22.680 Front door open. 24:22.680 --> 24:23.680 Let's see. 24:23.680 --> 24:28.680 Yeah. Let's go. 24:28.680 --> 24:33.680 Number five. Should be done this way I guess. 24:33.680 --> 24:34.680 Number five. 24:34.680 --> 24:36.680 Okay. Let's give it a try. 24:48.680 --> 24:49.680 Clint. 24:49.680 --> 24:50.680 That you? 24:50.680 --> 24:53.680 The police officers. You Matthew Sanford? 24:53.680 --> 24:55.680 Get out of here. Get out. 24:55.680 --> 24:57.680 All right. Come on. 24:57.680 --> 24:59.680 Drop the gun down. Drop it. 24:59.680 --> 25:01.680 I got it Joe. 25:01.680 --> 25:03.680 All right. Get your hands out. I'll cover him. 25:03.680 --> 25:04.680 Look around huh? 25:04.680 --> 25:05.680 All right. 25:05.680 --> 25:07.680 What is this anyway? What's the idea? 25:07.680 --> 25:08.680 You tell us. You pulled the gun. 25:08.680 --> 25:10.680 You got no business in here. You got no right. 25:10.680 --> 25:13.680 All right. You just stand still. I'll explain it downtown. 25:13.680 --> 25:16.680 Money sacks Joe. Found them in the desk. Same market they hit tonight. 25:16.680 --> 25:19.680 All right Sanford. You got nothing from me. I don't know what you're talking about. 25:19.680 --> 25:20.680 Get his coat will you Ben? 25:20.680 --> 25:21.680 Yeah. 25:21.680 --> 25:24.680 What are you trying to build anyway? You haven't got anything on me? 25:24.680 --> 25:26.680 Fourteen robberies mister. That's what we got on you. 25:26.680 --> 25:27.680 You think you got proof? 25:27.680 --> 25:28.680 We got it. 25:28.680 --> 25:29.680 Yeah? 25:29.680 --> 25:31.680 Fourteen victims. Come on. Let's go. 25:38.680 --> 25:41.680 The story you have just heard was true. 25:41.680 --> 25:44.680 The names were changed to protect the innocent. 25:44.680 --> 25:55.680 The two market bandit suspects Grant Burton Jamison and Matthew Roy Sanford were tried and convicted on 14 counts of first degree robbery and received sentences as prescribed by law. 25:55.680 --> 26:01.680 First degree robbery is punishable by imprisonment in the state penitentiary from five years to life. 26:01.680 --> 26:15.680 You have just heard Dragnet. A series of authentic cases from official files. 26:15.680 --> 26:32.680 Technical advice comes from the office of chief of police W.H. Parker, Los Angeles Police Department.