WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:12.000 Your detective sergeant, you're assigned the burglary detail. 00:12.000 --> 00:16.000 In the past two months, a thief has broken into 18 markets. 00:16.000 --> 00:20.000 There's no lead to his whereabouts, no clue to his identity. 00:20.000 --> 00:22.000 Your job, get him. 00:22.000 --> 00:35.000 Dragnet, the documented drama of an actual crime. 00:35.000 --> 00:39.000 For the next 30 minutes in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department, 00:39.000 --> 00:46.000 you will travel step by step on the side of the law through an actual case transcribed from official police files. 00:46.000 --> 00:59.000 From beginning to end, from crime to punishment, Dragnet is the story of your police force in action. 00:59.000 --> 01:02.000 It was Monday, December 14th. It was cold in Los Angeles. 01:02.000 --> 01:04.000 We were working the day watch out a burglary detail. 01:04.000 --> 01:06.000 My partner is Frank Smith. The boss is Captain Bernard. 01:06.000 --> 01:07.000 My name is Friday. 01:07.000 --> 01:12.000 We're on our way out of the office. It was 8.05 a.m. when we got to Georgia Street Juvenile Bureau. 01:12.000 --> 01:14.000 Sergeant Lindby Simmons' office. 01:14.000 --> 01:17.000 Yeah? Oh, did you give it to him? 01:17.000 --> 01:19.000 Uh-huh. 01:19.000 --> 01:20.000 Yeah. 01:20.000 --> 01:22.000 What'd he say? 01:22.000 --> 01:24.000 Yeah. 01:24.000 --> 01:26.000 Well, when did he come back? 01:26.000 --> 01:27.000 Uh-huh. 01:27.000 --> 01:29.000 Well, did he have it for you? 01:29.000 --> 01:32.000 Yeah. 01:32.000 --> 01:35.000 Well, that'll teach you not to go that route anymore. 01:35.000 --> 01:37.000 All right, Patrick, tell the sergeant to call me when he gets back. 01:37.000 --> 01:39.000 Right. 01:39.000 --> 01:40.000 Hi, Friday Smith. 01:40.000 --> 01:41.000 Oh, good morning, Sergeant. 01:41.000 --> 01:43.000 Just talking to Gene Patrick over at Highland Park. You know him? 01:43.000 --> 01:45.000 Yeah, I met him a couple of times. 01:45.000 --> 01:47.000 Picked up the youngster a couple of days ago on suspicion of burglary. 01:47.000 --> 01:49.000 Brought him into the office, and Patrick talked to him. 01:49.000 --> 01:50.000 Yeah. 01:50.000 --> 01:52.000 Well, he finally bought it, but the kid didn't have anything to do with the sets. 01:52.000 --> 01:53.000 He told him to go home. 01:53.000 --> 01:54.000 Uh-huh. 01:54.000 --> 01:57.000 Kid told Gene he didn't have the money to get home, so Gene gave him 20 cents. 01:57.000 --> 01:58.000 Kid swore he'd come in and pay it back. 01:58.000 --> 01:59.000 Did he? 01:59.000 --> 02:01.000 Yeah, he came in this morning, gave Patrick two dimes. 02:01.000 --> 02:03.000 Told him thanks for believing the story. 02:03.000 --> 02:04.000 Uh-huh. 02:04.000 --> 02:05.000 Then Patrick got the kicker. 02:05.000 --> 02:08.000 Kid really did break into our house last night to get the money. 02:08.000 --> 02:10.000 What's Patrick got to say about that? 02:10.000 --> 02:12.000 Says the kid's honest in a sort of way. He did pay him back. 02:12.000 --> 02:13.000 Where's the youngster now? 02:13.000 --> 02:15.000 Got him over at Holland Park juvenile. 02:15.000 --> 02:17.000 I better call Gene. Maybe I can give him a hand. 02:17.000 --> 02:19.000 I got a couple of street card tokens he won't be using. 02:19.000 --> 02:20.000 Might like to have them. 02:20.000 --> 02:21.000 Oh, hold it. 02:21.000 --> 02:23.000 As loud as you, I don't think I'd bring it up to him for a couple of days. 02:23.000 --> 02:25.000 Well, what can I do for you two? 02:25.000 --> 02:27.000 Well, Lindsay, we've been working on a string of burglaries. 02:27.000 --> 02:28.000 You maybe got the word on them. 02:28.000 --> 02:29.000 Well, I don't think so. What's the story? 02:29.000 --> 02:30.000 Bunch of store burglaries. 02:30.000 --> 02:32.000 Papers are tagged in them. Note bottle job. 02:32.000 --> 02:33.000 Oh, yeah. Yeah. 02:33.000 --> 02:35.000 Seems Hardgrove was telling me something about them the other day. 02:35.000 --> 02:37.000 Where do we come in? 02:37.000 --> 02:42.000 Well, the way the job looks, we've been thinking that maybe he belonged in your department instead of ours. 02:42.000 --> 02:43.000 How do you figure that? 02:43.000 --> 02:44.000 First off, the milk thing. 02:44.000 --> 02:45.000 What do you mean? 02:45.000 --> 02:47.000 Every job he's pulled, we found an empty milk bottle on the counter. 02:47.000 --> 02:48.000 Okay. What's that prove? 02:48.000 --> 02:50.000 Well, milk and kids go together. 02:50.000 --> 02:52.000 Sure. So do milk and ulcers. 02:52.000 --> 02:54.000 Maybe your thief's got the bull hard when he gets into the store. 02:54.000 --> 02:56.000 No, Lindsay, there's another thing. 02:56.000 --> 02:58.000 The way he prowls the places, all he takes is petty cash. 02:58.000 --> 03:00.000 Just a couple of bucks outside. 03:00.000 --> 03:02.000 Candy, cigarettes, nothing big. 03:02.000 --> 03:04.000 Some of the places he's gone into, you could open the safe with a pocket knife. 03:04.000 --> 03:06.000 And he hasn't even made a move toward them. 03:06.000 --> 03:08.000 Anyway, I've got a lot of them on the books. 03:08.000 --> 03:09.000 Maybe that's the way he gets his kicks. 03:09.000 --> 03:10.000 Oh, that's a nice try, Lindsay. 03:10.000 --> 03:14.000 If you know anybody that can climb through a 14 by 10 inch hole, you trot them up and we'll talk to them. 03:14.000 --> 03:18.000 Okay, I haven't got the names of my desk, but you take a trip to Santa Anita, you'll meet a lot of them. 03:18.000 --> 03:19.000 Jockeys. 03:19.000 --> 03:21.000 You guys know we'll go along with you on this thing. 03:21.000 --> 03:25.000 Anything we can do, but until we're sure that there's a juvenile involved, there's nothing we can do. 03:25.000 --> 03:27.000 Anything turns up, we'll be sure to turn it over to you. 03:27.000 --> 03:29.000 Well, look, we're not trying to prom this thing off on you, Lindsay. 03:29.000 --> 03:33.000 We've had the stats office make so many runs on small adults that the cards are wearing out. 03:33.000 --> 03:36.000 It means that none of the leads we've been chasing come out anywhere. 03:36.000 --> 03:38.000 I figure that maybe you could come up with some answers for us. 03:38.000 --> 03:39.000 Well, it's a new one on me, Joe. 03:39.000 --> 03:44.000 This milk that I've heard of a couple of thieves that went for it, but I can't name you a juvenile offhand. 03:44.000 --> 03:46.000 I'll pass the word around today, watch and see what they can come up with. 03:46.000 --> 03:47.000 I'll leave a note for heart growth. 03:47.000 --> 03:48.000 You can pass it on to the night watch. 03:48.000 --> 03:50.000 Well, I appreciate anything you can do. 03:50.000 --> 03:51.000 No trouble. 03:51.000 --> 03:52.000 Been running your ragged on this, huh? 03:52.000 --> 03:53.000 Pretty rough. 03:53.000 --> 03:55.000 Just that we can't seem to be able to come up with anything that has. 03:55.000 --> 03:56.000 Yeah. 03:56.000 --> 03:57.000 Oh, excuse me. 03:57.000 --> 03:58.000 Yeah. 03:58.000 --> 04:00.000 Georgia Street juvenile, Sergeant Simmons. 04:00.000 --> 04:01.000 Yeah. 04:01.000 --> 04:02.000 Yeah, they're here. 04:02.000 --> 04:03.000 Yeah. 04:03.000 --> 04:04.000 Okay, hang on. 04:04.000 --> 04:06.000 I'll see you at your office. 04:06.000 --> 04:07.000 Thank you. 04:07.000 --> 04:08.000 Friday, Tony. 04:08.000 --> 04:09.000 Yeah. 04:09.000 --> 04:10.000 Right away, what's the address? 04:10.000 --> 04:11.000 Uh-huh. 04:11.000 --> 04:12.000 Yeah. 04:12.000 --> 04:13.000 Oh, I got it. 04:13.000 --> 04:14.000 We'll leave right away. 04:14.000 --> 04:15.000 Who? 04:15.000 --> 04:16.000 Yeah, call him. 04:16.000 --> 04:17.000 Thanks. 04:17.000 --> 04:18.000 Well, come on, let's go. 04:18.000 --> 04:19.000 The milk bottle kiddie hit again. 04:19.000 --> 04:20.000 The call had come from Lieutenant Ginder in burgery. 04:20.000 --> 04:21.000 He told us that he'd just gotten a call from a storekeeper named Marty Decker. 04:21.000 --> 04:22.000 He said he'd been in the store for a while. 04:22.000 --> 04:23.000 He said he'd been in the store for a while. 04:23.000 --> 04:24.000 He said he'd been in the store for a while. 04:24.000 --> 04:25.000 He said he'd been in the store for a while. 04:25.000 --> 04:26.000 He said he'd been in the store for a while. 04:26.000 --> 04:32.000 He said he'd been in the store for a while. 04:32.000 --> 04:33.000 The call had come from Lieutenant Ginder in burgery. 04:33.000 --> 04:34.000 He told us that he'd just gotten a call from a storekeeper named Marty Decker. 04:34.000 --> 04:36.000 The man had called to report a burglary at his store at the corner of Jackson and Broadway 04:36.000 --> 04:37.000 Street. 04:37.000 --> 04:40.000 Lieutenant Ginder told us that the crime lab had been notified and had dispatched a crew 04:40.000 --> 04:43.000 to investigate the premises for physical evidence. 04:43.000 --> 04:45.000 Frank and I left Georgia Street juvenile. 04:45.000 --> 04:47.000 We drove over to Figueroa, and then we turned over onto Broadway. 04:47.000 --> 04:52.000 The store that had been broken into was a small Italian delicatessen on the southeast 04:52.000 --> 04:53.000 corner. 04:53.000 --> 04:56.000 We walked out there, the crime lab crew had already arrived and was winding up their investigation. 04:56.000 --> 04:59.000 We walked into the place and we met with Ray Pinker. 04:59.000 --> 05:00.000 Hi, Joe. 05:00.000 --> 05:01.000 Frank. 05:01.000 --> 05:02.000 Ray. 05:02.000 --> 05:03.000 How's it going? 05:03.000 --> 05:04.000 Usual thing. 05:04.000 --> 05:05.000 Bottle of milk on the counter. 05:05.000 --> 05:06.000 You want to check it over? 05:06.000 --> 05:07.000 Yeah. 05:07.000 --> 05:08.000 Come on back here. 05:08.000 --> 05:11.000 See if you can make it's entrance back here at the rear of the store. 05:11.000 --> 05:14.000 Now this broke out the window pane. 05:14.000 --> 05:16.000 Yeah, not very big, huh? 05:16.000 --> 05:19.000 It measures nine and a half, a 12 and three quarters. 05:19.000 --> 05:21.000 No alarm on the window, huh? 05:21.000 --> 05:22.000 Yeah, you can see the wires here. 05:22.000 --> 05:23.000 Take a look. 05:23.000 --> 05:24.000 Oh, yeah. 05:24.000 --> 05:26.000 How come the alarm didn't go off? 05:26.000 --> 05:27.000 I talked to the owner. 05:27.000 --> 05:30.000 He said he'd had trouble with the alarm system last couple of weeks. 05:30.000 --> 05:31.000 Called the company and asked them to fix it. 05:31.000 --> 05:32.000 He thought it was okay. 05:32.000 --> 05:33.000 Guess there's something wrong. 05:33.000 --> 05:35.000 Some place didn't work last night. 05:35.000 --> 05:36.000 What kind of alarm was it, Ray? 05:36.000 --> 05:37.000 I'll try it on the building. 05:37.000 --> 05:38.000 You know the kind. 05:38.000 --> 05:39.000 Yeah. 05:39.000 --> 05:40.000 What'd he take this time, Rick? 05:40.000 --> 05:41.000 Usual run of stuff. 05:41.000 --> 05:44.000 According to the owner, there are about four cartons of cigarettes and that thing. 05:44.000 --> 05:45.000 Several boxes of candy. 05:45.000 --> 05:46.000 Can't be absolutely sure. 05:46.000 --> 05:47.000 Said he's got a check he stopped. 05:47.000 --> 05:49.000 You better have to talk to him on that. 05:49.000 --> 05:50.000 Yeah, we will. 05:50.000 --> 05:51.000 We'll catch him later. 05:51.000 --> 05:52.000 Want to wait a minute? 05:52.000 --> 05:54.000 I'll check to see how the boys are doing on the prints. 05:54.000 --> 05:56.000 Have them check the counter in the milk bottle. 05:56.000 --> 05:57.000 Fine, thanks, Ray. 05:57.000 --> 05:58.000 Be right back. 05:58.000 --> 05:59.000 Bye. 05:59.000 --> 06:00.000 I wonder when we're going to blow the whistle on this guy. 06:00.000 --> 06:01.000 I don't know. 06:01.000 --> 06:02.000 Can't do it fast enough for me. 06:02.000 --> 06:03.000 I don't know about you. 06:03.000 --> 06:04.000 Hey, Joe. 06:04.000 --> 06:05.000 Look at this. 06:05.000 --> 06:10.000 You know, I'd like to get a couple of those before we leave. 06:10.000 --> 06:11.000 What are you talking about? 06:11.000 --> 06:12.000 Salami, Joe. 06:12.000 --> 06:13.000 Those right there, the hard Italian kind. 06:13.000 --> 06:14.000 See, right there. 06:14.000 --> 06:17.000 I remember last summer I was out in San Francisco. 06:17.000 --> 06:18.000 Yeah, I remember. 06:18.000 --> 06:19.000 Went up there to pick up a prisoner. 06:19.000 --> 06:21.000 Remember you were collecting days off? 06:21.000 --> 06:22.000 Yeah, I recall. 06:22.000 --> 06:23.000 I had a hundred of them coming. 06:23.000 --> 06:25.000 Yeah, pretty funny. 06:25.000 --> 06:27.000 Anyway, I met Dan Shelley up there. 06:27.000 --> 06:28.000 You mean the Irish tenor? 06:28.000 --> 06:31.000 Yeah, he and I went down to Cookie's Bar for lunch because he had some of the salami. 06:31.000 --> 06:32.000 Sliced it like paper. 06:32.000 --> 06:33.000 You could almost read through it. 06:33.000 --> 06:35.000 Oh, that's the way it's supposed to be. 06:35.000 --> 06:36.000 I know, Joe. 06:36.000 --> 06:39.000 Anyway, Cookie sliced up a bunch of it, served it with cold cracked crab. 06:39.000 --> 06:41.000 Boy, I never tasted anything so good in my life. 06:41.000 --> 06:44.000 Have you ever read the newspaper through sliced salami? 06:44.000 --> 06:46.000 Yeah, well, I never have. 06:46.000 --> 06:47.000 Have you? 06:47.000 --> 06:48.000 All the time. 06:48.000 --> 06:49.000 Just the funnies. 06:49.000 --> 06:51.000 Well, anyway, Faith tried to find them for me. 06:51.000 --> 06:52.000 Salami like this. 06:52.000 --> 06:55.000 Brought home all kinds of things, but she's never found the right kind. 06:55.000 --> 06:58.000 You know, they'd be hard enough to pound tax with when she got them on. 06:58.000 --> 07:01.000 Oh, I never forget old Cookie and that spread. 07:01.000 --> 07:05.000 Well, if you can get your mind off food for a minute, and I know that'll be tough. 07:05.000 --> 07:07.000 Let's get on with this thing, Joe. 07:07.000 --> 07:09.000 Sure got to buy some of these before we leave. 07:09.000 --> 07:11.000 This is my Cookie head. 07:11.000 --> 07:12.000 Yeah. 07:12.000 --> 07:13.000 This place is powdered, Joe. 07:13.000 --> 07:14.000 Yeah. 07:14.000 --> 07:15.000 Nothing. 07:15.000 --> 07:18.000 Whoever was drinking the milk, he took the bottle out of the refrigeration compartment. 07:18.000 --> 07:20.000 The bottle's sweated, and there's no print on it we can lift. 07:20.000 --> 07:21.000 Too bad. 07:21.000 --> 07:22.000 None of many places. 07:22.000 --> 07:24.000 No, we've gone over the place from top to bottom. 07:24.000 --> 07:26.000 So there we can't find them. 07:26.000 --> 07:27.000 That's not much help, is it? 07:27.000 --> 07:28.000 Came up with one thing. 07:28.000 --> 07:30.000 Maybe you can make something out of it. 07:30.000 --> 07:31.000 What's that? 07:31.000 --> 07:33.000 Outside the window on the back parking lot. 07:33.000 --> 07:34.000 Came up with an open package of cigarettes. 07:34.000 --> 07:36.000 Don't know if it belonged to the thieves. 07:36.000 --> 07:37.000 Anything on it? 07:37.000 --> 07:38.000 No. 07:38.000 --> 07:39.000 Fog last night ruined any prints that were on it. 07:39.000 --> 07:41.000 Boys have got it if you want it. 07:41.000 --> 07:42.000 Well, we'll take a look at it. 07:42.000 --> 07:45.000 Looks like everything's against us, huh? 07:45.000 --> 07:46.000 Another blank. 07:46.000 --> 07:47.000 Don't envy you guys trying to break this one. 07:47.000 --> 07:48.000 Most of the time it's a leak someplace. 07:48.000 --> 07:51.000 Somewhere along the line the guy's going to make a mistake and not cover something. 07:51.000 --> 07:53.000 Yeah, we've been saying that for weeks. 07:53.000 --> 07:56.000 This is either the smartest thief I've ever seen or the luckiest. 07:56.000 --> 07:57.000 What's this make for him? 07:57.000 --> 07:58.000 Number 19. 07:58.000 --> 08:00.000 A lot of chances to take for nothing. 08:00.000 --> 08:02.000 He's not getting anything out of the job. 08:02.000 --> 08:04.000 Maybe he isn't, but we are. 08:04.000 --> 08:05.000 What? 08:05.000 --> 08:06.000 Headaches. 08:06.000 --> 08:12.000 938 a.m. we talked to the victim. 08:12.000 --> 08:16.000 He told us that as near as he could figure there was approximately $4 stolen from the store. 08:16.000 --> 08:21.000 He went on to say that he'd ascertained that five cartons of cigarettes and several boxes of candy bars were taken. 08:21.000 --> 08:25.000 He was unable to tell us if any other merchandise was taken until he made a complete inventory. 08:25.000 --> 08:31.000 He went on to tell us that there was over $600 in the safe, but that as far as he could tell there had been no attempt to break into it. 08:31.000 --> 08:34.000 We made a canvas of the neighborhood and talked to the neighbors. 08:34.000 --> 08:38.000 None of them recalled having seen any suspicious people in the neighborhood the night before. 08:38.000 --> 08:41.000 None of them had seen any suspicious automobiles in the area. 08:41.000 --> 08:45.000 The one thing that was apparent was that the thief was working in a definite pattern. 08:45.000 --> 08:50.000 He worked only on Friday and Saturday nights, always between 8 p.m. and 12 midnight. 08:50.000 --> 08:56.000 Frank and I met with Captain Bernard and it was decided that we would maintain a rolling stakeout in the area in which the suspect operated. 08:56.000 --> 08:59.000 Four other cars from Metro Reserve were assigned to work with us. 08:59.000 --> 09:07.000 The next five nights we worked without result. It was slow and tedious, but considering the lack of information on the thief it was the only way we had left. 09:07.000 --> 09:11.000 We had to be on or near the scene when the thief struck again. 09:11.000 --> 09:14.000 Saturday night, December 19th, Frank and I met and drove out to the area. 09:14.000 --> 09:17.000 The streets were crowded with early Christmas shoppers. 09:17.000 --> 09:18.000 I'll sure be glad when it's over. 09:18.000 --> 09:19.000 Why, what's the matter? 09:19.000 --> 09:21.000 How many rooms in your apartment, Joe? 09:21.000 --> 09:23.000 Three, you know that. You've been there. 09:23.000 --> 09:26.000 Yeah, well, there won't be enough room. 09:26.000 --> 09:27.000 What are you talking about? 09:27.000 --> 09:29.000 Faye. 09:29.000 --> 09:30.000 What's Faye got to do with this? 09:30.000 --> 09:31.000 Hack, Joe, real hack. 09:31.000 --> 09:33.000 Why, what's the matter? 09:33.000 --> 09:40.000 I got up this morning. I felt great. Faye's got breakfast on the table, all nice, a couple eggs, little pig sausages. Nice, you know. 09:40.000 --> 09:41.000 Yeah. 09:41.000 --> 09:45.000 I come down to the table, she's got the food on, and I hit her with it. 09:45.000 --> 09:46.000 What, the food? 09:46.000 --> 09:50.000 You know, Joe, I hit her with what I'm about to tell her. I tell her I'm going to have to work tonight. 09:50.000 --> 09:53.000 You work every night this week. What's wrong with that? 09:53.000 --> 09:55.000 That's the way I figure it, so I got a way out. 09:55.000 --> 09:56.000 You have a? 09:56.000 --> 09:58.000 Mm-hmm. Today is Faye's birthday. 09:58.000 --> 10:00.000 Oh, you didn't tell me. 10:00.000 --> 10:02.000 It's not good to tell people, Joe. 10:02.000 --> 10:03.000 Oh, it isn't? 10:03.000 --> 10:07.000 No. Faye's over 30. 10:07.000 --> 10:09.000 Yeah, I kind of figured that. 10:09.000 --> 10:11.000 Don't you get it? 10:11.000 --> 10:14.000 I'm sorry, pal. You left me a couple of locks back on this one. 10:14.000 --> 10:15.000 Look, Faye. 10:15.000 --> 10:16.000 I may never catch up. 10:16.000 --> 10:21.000 Faye's over 30, Joe. She's getting to the point where she's taking off years, see? 10:21.000 --> 10:25.000 How can you give a person a last birthday present? 10:25.000 --> 10:27.000 What do you mean, last birthday present? 10:27.000 --> 10:29.000 I tell you about it. They're going to give her a present. 10:29.000 --> 10:33.000 Only now, instead of 30, she's 29. You understand? 10:33.000 --> 10:38.000 Well, to be perfectly honest with you, no. But as long as you do, it's perfectly all right with me. 10:38.000 --> 10:39.000 Yeah. 10:39.000 --> 10:40.000 What about this morning? 10:40.000 --> 10:44.000 Well, I told her I was going to have to go to work. I got this present for her. 10:44.000 --> 10:47.000 Brand new deep fat fryer. Real good. All wrapped up. 10:47.000 --> 10:52.000 Deep fat fryer. All wrapped up with ribbon. Beautiful. Shiny. Beautiful. 10:52.000 --> 10:54.000 So you gave it to her. Did it do any good? 10:54.000 --> 10:56.000 Well, John, you know what she does with it? 10:56.000 --> 10:59.000 Well, at this point, I wouldn't even want to guess. 10:59.000 --> 11:02.000 I'm serious, Joe. This may mean the end of my home. 11:02.000 --> 11:03.000 Go ahead. 11:03.000 --> 11:07.000 She doesn't even open it. Just puts it in the closet on the back porch. 11:07.000 --> 11:10.000 Doesn't even pull the paper apart to peek in what's in it. 11:10.000 --> 11:13.000 Real mad, Joe. You may not find me back in the house tonight. 11:13.000 --> 11:15.000 Well, you can apologize when you get home. 11:15.000 --> 11:17.000 I don't know, Joe. Faye's pretty sore. Didn't even open the present. 11:17.000 --> 11:18.000 Wait a minute. 11:18.000 --> 11:19.000 Huh? 11:19.000 --> 11:20.000 Listen. 11:20.000 --> 11:21.000 Yeah. Is that where it's coming from? 11:21.000 --> 11:24.000 Yeah. It sounds like up on 7th. Come on. 11:27.000 --> 11:29.000 Yeah, right here. Pull up. 11:30.000 --> 11:32.000 Come on. I'll take the front. 11:32.000 --> 11:34.000 All right. 11:40.000 --> 11:42.000 Hey, hold it up there. 11:42.000 --> 11:44.000 Wait, officer. Stop or I'll shoot. 11:44.000 --> 11:47.000 Frank, come around your way. Okay? 11:47.000 --> 11:48.000 Take it easy. 11:48.000 --> 11:51.000 Go ahead and shoot. Come on and kill me. 11:51.000 --> 11:53.000 Go ahead. Shoot me. Doesn't matter anymore. 11:53.000 --> 11:54.000 Go on. 11:54.000 --> 11:55.000 All right. Yeah. 11:55.000 --> 11:56.000 Just get, Joe. 11:56.000 --> 11:57.000 We'll see. 11:57.000 --> 11:59.000 What are you doing in the store, son? 11:59.000 --> 12:00.000 What do you think I'm doing? 12:00.000 --> 12:02.000 You asked your question, son. 12:02.000 --> 12:05.000 Pretty stupid. What do you think I was doing? 12:05.000 --> 12:06.000 How many stores have you broken into, son? 12:06.000 --> 12:08.000 Figure it out for yourself. 12:08.000 --> 12:09.000 Look, what do you got a chip on your shoulder for? 12:09.000 --> 12:12.000 You're a big guy. Don't give me a lot of conversation. 12:12.000 --> 12:13.000 Do what you want to do. 12:13.000 --> 12:18.000 All right, boy. You call it. Come on. 12:20.000 --> 12:21.000 1150 PM. 12:21.000 --> 12:24.000 We called the office and told them that we had a subject in custody 12:24.000 --> 12:26.000 and that we were taking him to George Street Juvenile Bureau. 12:26.000 --> 12:29.000 We put the boy in our car and we waited until a radio car arrived. 12:29.000 --> 12:33.000 We asked the officers to notify the owner of the store and stand by until he got there. 12:33.000 --> 12:36.000 We also asked that they make a 459 report. 12:36.000 --> 12:38.000 1155 PM. 12:38.000 --> 12:41.000 We started to take the youngster to the Juvenile Bureau. 12:41.000 --> 12:42.000 What's your name, son? 12:42.000 --> 12:43.000 What difference does it make? 12:43.000 --> 12:45.000 Acting like that isn't going to help you. 12:45.000 --> 12:47.000 You guys picked me up, remember? You worry about it. 12:47.000 --> 12:49.000 I got nothing to be afraid of. 12:49.000 --> 12:51.000 Oh, yes, you have, boy. You could have been shot back there. 12:51.000 --> 12:53.000 Maybe you should have pulled a trigger. 12:53.000 --> 12:56.000 Look, son, what's the matter with you? Why are you acting like this? 12:56.000 --> 12:59.000 You just got real lucky back there. That's the only reason you're alive now. 12:59.000 --> 13:00.000 It was dark in there. 13:00.000 --> 13:03.000 As far as I could tell, you were an adult. You didn't stop when I told you to. 13:03.000 --> 13:05.000 Now, according to the book, I could have shot you. You know that, don't you? 13:05.000 --> 13:07.000 Showing the kid. That'd make you a big man. 13:07.000 --> 13:08.000 No, I'm just bringing it up to prove a point. 13:08.000 --> 13:09.000 Save it. 13:09.000 --> 13:11.000 Now, look, son. I'm going to tell you something. 13:11.000 --> 13:14.000 When you break into a place at night, you're not a kid anymore. 13:14.000 --> 13:15.000 You're asking for trouble. 13:15.000 --> 13:17.000 You've got both your pockets full of it. 13:17.000 --> 13:20.000 The way you work tonight makes us think you're mixed up in a lot more theft than just tonight. 13:20.000 --> 13:21.000 That right? 13:21.000 --> 13:22.000 You ever been arrested before? 13:22.000 --> 13:23.000 No. 13:23.000 --> 13:24.000 Never been in trouble with the law, huh? 13:24.000 --> 13:25.000 Sure. I'm a real criminal. 13:25.000 --> 13:28.000 I got to take a once-a-lifetime ride through a boulevard stop. 13:28.000 --> 13:30.000 Radio car stopped me and tagged me. 13:30.000 --> 13:31.000 Big deal. 13:31.000 --> 13:33.000 But they're going to send me to San Quentin. 13:33.000 --> 13:35.000 Maybe they can give me the gatchings. 13:37.000 --> 13:38.000 How old are you? 13:38.000 --> 13:39.000 What difference does that make? 13:39.000 --> 13:40.000 How old are you? 13:40.000 --> 13:41.000 How old are you, figure? 13:41.000 --> 13:42.000 All right. 13:42.000 --> 13:43.000 You look like you're about 11 to me. 13:43.000 --> 13:44.000 That's what everybody thinks. 13:44.000 --> 13:45.000 At least 15 my next birthday. 13:45.000 --> 13:46.000 Don't get it, son. 13:46.000 --> 13:47.000 It's the truth. 13:47.000 --> 13:48.000 15. 13:48.000 --> 13:49.000 That's what I'll be 15. 13:49.000 --> 13:50.000 When were you born? 13:50.000 --> 13:51.000 1939, November 2nd. 13:51.000 --> 13:52.000 You're small for your age, aren't you? 13:52.000 --> 13:53.000 Why do you say that? 13:53.000 --> 13:54.000 Aren't you? 13:54.000 --> 13:55.000 It's got nothing to do with it. 13:55.000 --> 13:56.000 Nothing at all. 13:56.000 --> 13:57.000 I can do anything any other kid can do. 13:57.000 --> 13:58.000 Anything. 13:58.000 --> 13:59.000 Don't forget that. 13:59.000 --> 14:00.000 What's the matter with you? 14:00.000 --> 14:01.000 Is that a sore point with you? 14:01.000 --> 14:02.000 Huh? 14:02.000 --> 14:03.000 Your size. 14:03.000 --> 14:04.000 Is that a sore point? 14:04.000 --> 14:05.000 Nothing wrong with my size. 14:05.000 --> 14:06.000 The doctor says that I'm all right. 14:06.000 --> 14:10.000 Just that some people aren't meant to be as big as others, that's all. 14:10.000 --> 14:11.000 There's nothing wrong with me. 14:11.000 --> 14:12.000 Now, now, come on, son. 14:12.000 --> 14:13.000 What's your name? 14:13.000 --> 14:14.000 Now, look, you know we're going to find out. 14:14.000 --> 14:15.000 How are you going to find out? 14:15.000 --> 14:16.000 We will. 14:16.000 --> 14:17.000 Why don't you save us all a lot of time and tell us the truth here? 14:17.000 --> 14:18.000 It'd be better if you did. 14:18.000 --> 14:19.000 If I do tell you. 14:19.000 --> 14:20.000 You going to put it in the papers? 14:20.000 --> 14:21.000 Huh? 14:21.000 --> 14:22.000 I'll tell you. 14:22.000 --> 14:23.000 There's going to be a lot of reporters around. 14:23.000 --> 14:24.000 My name going to get in the papers? 14:24.000 --> 14:25.000 Not so much. 14:25.000 --> 14:26.000 Can't tell you. 14:26.000 --> 14:27.000 You're going to tell me. 14:27.000 --> 14:28.000 I'm going to tell you. 14:28.000 --> 14:29.000 I'm going to tell you. 14:29.000 --> 14:30.000 I'm going to tell you. 14:30.000 --> 14:31.000 I'm going to tell you. 14:31.000 --> 14:36.000 I'm going to tell you. 14:36.000 --> 14:38.000 It means there's no reporters around. 14:38.000 --> 14:39.080 You're not going to tell us your name? 14:39.080 --> 14:40.080 Is that it? 14:40.080 --> 14:41.080 That's the way it is. 14:41.080 --> 14:42.320 It's kind of funny, isn't it? 14:42.320 --> 14:44.960 Maybe that's the way it looks to you. 14:44.960 --> 14:46.220 What are you looking at? 14:46.220 --> 14:47.220 Can't tell you that either. 14:47.220 --> 14:49.220 You got things all wrong, son. 14:49.220 --> 14:51.920 It isn't what you want to tell us. 14:51.920 --> 14:53.400 It's got nothing to do with it. 14:53.400 --> 14:55.480 You're going to tell us what we want to know sooner or later? 14:55.480 --> 14:56.480 Where are we going? 14:56.480 --> 14:57.480 George Street. 14:57.480 --> 14:58.480 That's where the jail is. 14:58.480 --> 14:59.480 Why do you ask that? 14:59.480 --> 15:00.480 Because I want to know. 15:00.480 --> 15:05.300 out of the jail where the part of the report is what is this thing with reporters 15:05.320 --> 15:08.720 and you what it's all about the point is put your name in the paper and I'm done 15:09.240 --> 15:12.920 well you get the reporters are lined up you get them from all the papers you 15:12.920 --> 15:16.680 haven't done I'll tell you all about the whole story you just get the reporters and 15:16.680 --> 15:22.600 the photographers be sure about them because I want to take you to. Let me get 15:22.600 --> 15:25.600 this straight what you say you are going to give us any information without the 15:25.600 --> 15:29.160 press being that right that's the way it's going to be you got it wrong boy 15:29.160 --> 15:31.920 what doesn't make any difference who is there you're going to come around yeah 15:31.920 --> 15:32.640 we'll find out. 15:43.480 --> 15:47.280 1210 AM we got to Georgia Street juvenile bureau Frank pulled the car into the side 15:47.280 --> 15:51.080 alley and we took the subject out of the back seat. Up this way. 15:53.360 --> 15:56.920 Yeah well it's been here a long time. Don't you worry about it. 15:56.920 --> 16:01.240 But. You want to take them down the hall Frank I'll check with hard growth Yeah 16:01.440 --> 16:01.640 more. 16:06.080 --> 16:10.560 I have Friday working kind of later Yeah we are I got to know from Simmons on the 16:10.560 --> 16:14.040 milk burglary checked around the night was nothing on it I didn't call it I don't 16:14.040 --> 16:17.240 think you have to worry about I think we got the answers Yeah just picked up a kid 16:17.600 --> 16:20.360 we got him dead to rights in the market open bottle of milk right next to can 16:20.360 --> 16:24.600 you know thanks got him down the hall you think is your boy and it looks like it 16:24.600 --> 16:28.620 everything adds up the entrance what he tried to take the milk all along seems to 16:28.620 --> 16:32.540 fit you get that kind of a case what are you worried about there's two things Yeah 16:32.740 --> 16:37.020 we isn't right it you want that is no got some big thing working about the press 16:37.180 --> 16:40.380 so they won't give us anything without reporters being there makes it rough you 16:40.380 --> 16:45.340 know the policy I do you want to help him if he wants publicity take me down into 16:45.340 --> 16:55.380 this is a report I might do it or do I have to try to go ahead. What am I going 16:55.380 --> 16:59.780 to be well I'm going to say to you from the mirror as well we want to get. 17:05.660 --> 17:09.220 Some you want to talk to somebody from the papers it's against the policy that we 17:09.220 --> 17:14.180 swung for you with the city you from the moon I you tell the hell guy I got a phone 17:14.180 --> 17:19.380 in Baltimore yeah great I read all about it you know right me up like that I hope 17:19.380 --> 17:22.620 that I know what two men killed in that operation how we'd all with stories 17:22.620 --> 17:27.380 everybody did that's I mean for you to write me up with a picture that makes you 17:27.380 --> 17:30.800 think you got it coming you break into one store and try to steal a couple of 17:30.820 --> 17:34.380 cartons of cigarettes that doesn't make the first page one store I got in the 17:34.380 --> 17:38.700 nineteen of them my team before they caught me that's important isn't that the 17:38.700 --> 17:42.700 story I don't know my day couple things you better get straightened out here first 17:42.700 --> 17:46.300 off what your name better get your notebook out be able to take all this down 17:46.540 --> 17:51.700 don't worry about it so you just answer the questions I'll get it yeah OK my name 17:51.700 --> 17:57.540 is I like playing that E.L.R.O.Y. G.R.A.H.A.N. 17:57.620 --> 17:59.740 Yeah I told you once I'm 17:59.740 --> 18:04.820 a 15 you said you broke into nineteen stores is that right yeah I can't might 18:04.820 --> 18:05.100 have made 18:05.100 --> 18:09.180 a more but something wrong tonight I'm sure with the burger along that I turned 18:09.180 --> 18:14.140 up that mistake you still work and I wasn't for that if it only takes one though 18:14.140 --> 18:18.820 how much do you get yourself you want to apply it at it what you had to have a 18:18.820 --> 18:22.100 reason for committing these robberies you want to tell us what it was sure good 18:22.100 --> 18:28.560 reason we are going to tell it. When you see I was had trouble at school never 18:28.580 --> 18:32.260 seemed to quite make it all the guys like me all that all the girls do to 18:32.620 --> 18:36.180 a girl calling almost every night asking to take in the dance and stuff like that 18:36.180 --> 18:40.740 I don't go much for stuff like that you can understand can't you Mr. Go ahead 18:40.740 --> 18:45.860 all right well they want me for all the teams football basketball all the time 18:45.860 --> 18:49.580 asking to play but I figured you want to get ahead in the world you got to have 18:49.580 --> 18:53.580 a name some place where you want to get to get out that look for it and you're 18:53.580 --> 18:58.260 going to get there don't you find that true Mr. You're going to get the way it 18:58.260 --> 19:02.460 was with me all the time turned down office to be on some team telling some girl 19:02.460 --> 19:06.940 I couldn't take it to a day and didn't have the time and I just couldn't make it 19:07.260 --> 19:10.860 you can understand it you've been around you know I was successful kind of people 19:11.340 --> 19:16.180 who like someone a lot of people we did you know what I mean don't you. 19:18.380 --> 19:22.780 What's the matter something wrong. I'm trying to tell you what happened I'm 19:22.780 --> 19:27.820 going to be straight what's the matter. Now you want to tell us the truth all 19:27.820 --> 19:31.060 right well I don't know why you're trying to tell us this line boy it isn't 19:31.060 --> 19:34.180 necessary I don't know why you did what you did but I do know you had a reason 19:34.180 --> 19:39.460 for that's all we want to know just the reason. You don't believe me. Right now 19:40.140 --> 19:45.140 how about you know some of them. Mr. You know. 19:46.540 --> 19:52.180 Can't even lie right. Can you until I good all my life I've been trying to be like 19:52.180 --> 19:56.580 other kids all the time getting beat up getting left out of things you know why 19:56.580 --> 20:00.980 you know. Big reason. 20:02.380 --> 20:07.980 The biggest reason in the world. Because I'm almost fifteen years old for 20:07.980 --> 20:13.860 a few seven inches tall for three seven weight ninety seven pounds and a very big 20:13.900 --> 20:20.140 not big enough. All the time I think it's having around all the time you're the 20:20.140 --> 20:25.140 joke. It's the time when you figure it's easy to laugh to. 20:25.140 --> 20:29.420 But. Because if you don't some kids going to beat you up get to the point where you 20:29.420 --> 20:35.020 don't care anymore. I need to click off those coupons and send them in get the 20:35.020 --> 20:39.140 book back and how to build myself up what that didn't do nothing for me. 20:40.060 --> 20:44.780 We're still four feet seven weight ninety seven pounds all the stuff I took didn't 20:44.780 --> 20:49.380 do no good. Don't come out for seven ninety seven pounds. 20:49.380 --> 20:55.820 All right you want to tell us about the big reason. I did it to be big that's why 20:56.340 --> 21:01.900 I had things that people wanted to go back to me the other things kids wanted. I 21:01.900 --> 21:07.180 had all that stuff that the other kids wanted. Made me important don't you see that 21:08.020 --> 21:13.020 you've got to understand that. That's why one of my picture in the paper that's why 21:13.020 --> 21:24.220 I wanted to story. So the kids would know that then something big so they know. That 21:24.220 --> 21:29.700 it's going to be our. Know what it's like everything else I tried to do I lost it 21:29.700 --> 21:35.620 up I didn't mean to steal but it was the only thing to do the only way I had I 21:35.620 --> 21:40.700 wasn't the only thing I wanted to know what all the time the other kids laughing 21:40.700 --> 21:44.900 all the time talking just couldn't stand it anymore I just couldn't. 21:48.420 --> 21:58.220 You know thanks. You can understand it can't you make sense what that time wasn't 21:58.220 --> 22:02.580 so much the kids and I was little you know I didn't want to think I was small. 22:02.580 --> 22:02.580 Well. 22:10.580 --> 22:14.340 1236 AM we contacted the parents of the Graham boy asked them to come down to the 22:14.340 --> 22:18.180 station talk to them for an hour and try to fill them in the view of the fact that 22:18.180 --> 22:21.740 the parents of the subject responsible person the boy was booked for violation of 22:21.740 --> 22:23.180 section what the P.C. 22:24.180 --> 22:28.180 And he was really his parents pending his hearing in juvenile court five days 22:28.180 --> 22:31.740 passed we heard nothing from the boy on December twenty fourth blanket I checked 22:31.740 --> 22:37.660 into the office. Right well get in the back let's see you in the back OK thank 22:37.660 --> 22:45.660 you. I'm just right I was we do play 22:45.660 --> 22:51.340 a lot I guess you think it's kind of fun what's that I want to tell you I should 22:51.340 --> 22:54.700 think it's good what you did for me but we're with that big thing the other night 22:54.980 --> 22:58.100 well there's no way that some of course the left to make a decision on it yeah 22:58.100 --> 23:02.820 I'm sure what you did to make me feel better five I can turn whatever the judge 23:02.820 --> 23:07.860 decides I'll go along with it I'm on top of my folks so we got it all talked out 23:08.020 --> 23:11.060 all the way talk down but that's good we're glad of the time. 23:12.380 --> 23:16.060 When you guys don't like it I mean you know I'm just like a short time and all 23:16.860 --> 23:20.140 but I want to bring you these. Merry Christmas. 23:21.180 --> 23:24.340 Well I thought when I should be all right but it's necessary I want to get into 23:24.340 --> 23:29.060 a way to get from that's my right to be all right to appreciate it. 23:31.980 --> 23:36.540 A couple of times to the left but they're the kind of smoke yes and they'll be fine 23:36.540 --> 23:42.540 thanks. Well you guys are on. 23:43.180 --> 23:50.540 Yeah I just. Just want my things I can yeah I'm. Just not going to know you know 23:50.540 --> 24:01.660 what that. I didn't feel. The 24:01.660 --> 24:06.260 story you have just heard is true the names were changed to protect the innocent 24:06.540 --> 24:10.420 on the twenty first of December a petition was filed in juvenile court on 24:10.420 --> 24:15.100 behalf of the subject on January twenty sixth trial was held in Department fifty 24:15.100 --> 24:19.620 two of juvenile court state of California in and for the county of Los Angeles in 24:19.620 --> 24:20.980 a moment the results of that trial. 24:29.220 --> 24:32.660 Elroy Merton Graham appeared before the juvenile court where he admitted the 24:32.660 --> 24:36.820 alleged burglaries at this time under the counsel of the judge of the juvenile 24:36.820 --> 24:40.060 court the subject was placed under the care of the probation department for a 24:40.060 --> 24:44.140 period of three years with the provision that his parents take him to a competent 24:44.140 --> 25:08.820 psychiatrist. You have just heard a series of authentic cases from official 25:08.820 --> 25:13.460 files technical advice comes from the office of chief of police W. H. Parker 25:13.460 --> 25:18.420 Los Angeles police department technical advisors Captain Jack Donahoe Sergeant 25:18.420 --> 25:23.580 Marty Wynn Sergeant Vance Brasher tonight were then Alexander Jack Prushin 25:23.580 --> 25:29.820 Olan Suley Sammy Ogg script by John Robinson music by Walter Schuman Hal 25:29.820 --> 25:37.420 Gibney speaking. Transcribed from Los Angeles Dragnet is an NBC radio network 25:37.420 --> 25:43.700 production.