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Drug buyers let fingers do the walking -- to jail

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Times Staff Writer

Call it a case of drugged dialing.

Two men attempted to page their drug dealer from a Pomona pay phone with an urgent “911” order for dope about 3 a.m. Tuesday. Instead, they got through to police dispatchers, authorities said.

“No one said criminals are smart,” said Pomona Police Sgt. Michael Olivieri. “When they were interviewing afterward, they admitted they were in a hurry for dope and made an error in dialing.”

The call was traced, and a patrol car sent to the scene. Officers found suspects Paul White, 38, and Ryan Ogle, 25, standing next to the pay phone and a car outside the Pack A Bag convenience store, Olivieri said.

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A check of the car’s license plate showed it was stolen. So officers moved in to arrest the pair in the 1000 block of West Mission Boulevard.

A search turned up drug paraphernalia, a set of burglary tools and a shaved ignition key, Olivieri said. The men were booked on suspicion of possessing drug paraphernalia, burglary tools and auto theft.

It was the second bizarre crime in Pomona in recent days. Last week, a man who allegedly used a chain and pickup truck to yank a 1,500-pound automated teller machine from the Pomona Ranch Market was foiled in his escape attempt when his prosthetic leg fell off.

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richard.winton@latimes.com

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