Caller's 'Did you find my phone?' leads cops to suspect in homicides

Contra Costa Times ^ | 6/2/9 | Karl Fischer - West County Times

[SmithL]

A cell phone dropped during a Pinole house burglary led authorities to a man wanted on suspicion of three East Bay killings — after he dialed his own number to find it, police said.

"One of the officers hears a phone ringing over by the broken window. He finds it, and answers it," Pinole police Chief Paul Clancy said. "The voice says, 'Hey, did you find my phone?'"‰"

The officers had been summoned to the scene after an Alice Way resident interrupted a burglary at the home about 9:30 p.m. May 23. The burglar apparently entered by breaking a window and exited the same way, rapidly, before zooming off in a car, Clancy said.

Police searched but had no luck, making the call from "Tony" on a previously undiscovered phone in the bushes all the more welcome, the chief said.

"Tony" turned out to be 23-year-old Anthony Ramirez, who has been linked to slayings in Rodeo, Emeryville and El Sobrante in recent months, Clancy said.

"Our guy says, 'Yeah, I've got your phone,' and arranged to sell it back to him the following day," Clancy said. "They made arrangements to meet at a laundromat on Appian Way."

Ramirez turned up at the appointed time in a stolen Nissan 350Z with a 17-year-old from El Sobrante in the passenger seat, police said. Perhaps alerted by the numerous police cars in the area, the 350Z sped off before undercover officers could approach.

Officers chased it to the corner of Appian and Garden Way, where the driver lost control, crashed against the curb and ran off. He left behind the passenger, articles reported missing after several recent burglaries in the area, and a handgun and a rifle with sawed-off stock, both within easy reach of the driver's seat, police said.

[SmithL]

Can you hear me now?

[17th Miss Regt]

Ramirez: “who are all these people?

Cop: “They are my Verizon support network!”

[Mr. Lucky]

Aw jeez. The perp was linked by the police to three other murders and he was still at large?

(...and the police drove marked squad cars to an undercover meet?)

[bcsco]

(...and the police drove marked squad cars to an undercover meet?)

That stuck out to me as well. Does the name 'Keystone' come to mind?

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Interesting variation on a common theme.

[ZirconEncrustedTweezers]

This guy’s a bright little bulb, ain’t he? Of course it’s only the dumb criminals who get caught.

[snarks_when_bored]

"We'll get him the next time he calls..."

[SmithL]

Ramirez: “who are all these people?
Cop: “They are my Verizon support network!”

Ding! Ding! Ding!

We have a winner!!

[Deo volente]

Dumb suspect, dumber cops (to flood the rendezvous scene with marked police cars).