Crooks 'Butt-Dial' 911, Get Busted for Break-In
A pair of alleged burglars butt-dialed 911, allowing a dispatcher to listen in as they planned and committed a burglary.
The bosom buddies now face charges of breaking into a car, possession of stolen property, conspiracy to commit a crime -- and several counts of embarrassment.
For those of you who have never heard of "butt dialing," it's exactly what you think it is. It's when your butt does the dialing for you when you sit down, without you even realizing it.
Police in Fresno, California, say that a 911 operator received a call -- but no one was on the other end. However, the dispatcher decided to keep listening and then, as KGPE-TV reports, voices were heard.
In the conversation, Nathan Teklemariam and Carson Rinehart, both 20, could be heard saying things like, "They're narcos! Yee-ahh!" They also mentioned parking far away. One of them even said, "I just want to smoke weed so bad right now."
You can watch KGPE-TV's report, with portions of the 911 call, here:
Soon after, the dispatcher heard a car window being smashed along with the gem: "Get the bolt and give me the hammer just in case."
Not only could the dispatcher hear what the crooked pair was saying, but the dispatcher also pinpointed the suspects' location and sent deputies to find them. And find them, they did.
The conversation was enough for police to stop the butt-dialing burglars. Police found prescription drugs and other items allegedly taken from the burglarized car. Once the suspects were in custody, they were told how they were tracked down.
To prove conspiracy, there must be evidence that two or more people agreed to commit an unlawful crime and then took some action towards its completion. The 911 tape gets prosecutors halfway there.
The golden line allegedly by one of the suspects, after they were caught: "This fool really called 911?"
It is not known if the alleged criminals are still talking to each other -- intentionally, anyway.
As with similar situations, in the end, we must consider what can be learned from posteriors with personality: Butt dialing 911 is a no-no, so make sure to lock your phones. That is, unless you have a rear end with a good conscience.
Related Resources:
- Alleged robbers butt-dial 911 (CNET)
- Teen Drug Dealer Butt Dials 911 While Planning Deal (FindLaw's Legally Weird)
- 'Butt Dial': SWAT Team Responds to Accidental Pocket Dial (FindLaw's Legally Weird)
- Pocket-Dialing Leads to Drug Bust in New Jersey (FindLaw's Legally Weird)