SAN MATEO COUNTY BLOODHOUND UNIT LOCATES MISSING MAN

Officer Matt Broad and K9 Morgan were called out on May 2nd, 2006 at about midnight to do a search for a missing suicidal adult.  The subject was from Atlanta and in town for a job interview. When Officer Broad arrived on the scene, he was told the subject walked away from his car and headed north on Hwy 1 from Hwy 84.  The subject’s wife called 911 concerned that he was suicidal. She could not give a specific area were she had last seen her husband but was able to give Officer Broad a general area to start Morgan on the trail.K9 Morgan was scented from a digital camera that the subject had handled. Based upon the above information, Officer Broad decided to start K9 Morgan at Hwy 1 and 84 about 20 yards away from where the witness and other Deputies were located. Morgan started to work north on Hwy 1.  Morgan worked for a little over half a mile then jumped over a K-rail and started working down a foot path. Morgan then returned to the Highway and ran about 20-25 feet south and began to whimper. Morgan then jumped over the fence a second time, ran 15 feet north and found the man hiding under a bush.  Morgan found the subject in just under 11 minutes on the trail. The subject was suffering from mild hypothermia and dementia. Congratulations Officer Broad and K9 Morgan on a job well done. Officer Broad and K9 Morgan are graduates of the Canine Training Academy.

LAPD BLOODHOUND UNIT LOCATES DUI DRIVER

On June 4th, 2003 at about 0100 hours the California Highway Patrol stopped a DUI driver in a possible stolen vehicle on the 118 freeway . The suspect exited the vehicle and fled across both directions of the freeway and up an embankment. The officers checked the area and were not able to locate the suspect, no perimeter was established. Sgt. Buttitta responded to the scene with his Bloodhound Meagan and obtained a sample of the suspects scent from the steering wheel of the vehicle with a gauze pad. At about 0230 hours, Buttitta scented Meagan on the pad at the bottom of the hill along the slow lane of the freeway. Meagan acquired a trail that led up the hill making a right turn at the top and leading to a grove of  trees. The area appeared to have a scent pool, Buttitta noticed an area of crushed vegetation as if the suspect had been lying down for a bit. Meagan worked out of the scent pool and took officers further southbound to a chain link fence of a nursery. Meagan wanted to get over the fence. Officers gained entry to the nursery and Meagan continued the trail and followed it through the nursery to a block wall of a residential area. The air unit, who was still in the area utilized his FLIR (forward looking infra red) and located the suspect hiding under a motor home on the other side of the wall. Patrol officers took him into custody. "Good Job Chuck and Meagan." They are 3 time graduates of the Canine Training Academy.

LAPD BLOODHOUND UNIT LOCATES MISSING ALZHEIMER'S PATIENT

On October 20Th, at 1030 hours, Sgt. Buttitta responded to a call for a missing Alzheimer's patient. The area to be searched was steep with lots of canyons and houses that poke-a-doted the area. At 2130 hours on October 19TH an 81 year old male was last seen in his back yard wearing his pajamas, bathrobe and slippers. The missing mans house backed up to a large canyon. The man told his wife that he had to go. She brought him back into the house but later discovered that he was gone. The wife check the area and waited until the next morning to contact the police. She felt that police would not search for him at night. The initial officers had an air unit respond to check the surrounding canyons with negative results. By the time Sgt. Buttitta arrived it was over ninety plus degrees with a slight dry Santa Anna wind. His Bloodhound Meagan was scented from a pair of the missing mans socks in the rear yard of the residence. Meagan took a trail through a work shed in the rear of the yard then along a slope leading into the canyon. Meagan lost the trail and Sgt Buttitta then cast her along the slope. Meagan gave her handler a head pop and headed down the hill at the end of her thirty foot line. As Sgt Buttitta approached where Meagan had turned he observed the sash from the missing mans robe. Meagan trailed down the hill approximately a quarter of a mile from the residence and located the victim laying on the ground in some brush. The victim was alive and in surprisingly good condition. He had minor cuts and bruises along with suffering from dehydration. Sgt Buttitta and his backup handler provided first aid to the man and he was airlifted from the scene to the hospital. He had been lost for over fourteen hours. Good Job Meagan and Chuck!

LAPD BLOODHOUND LOCATES GTA SUSPECT

On October 21st, 2003 Sgt Buttita and his Bloodhound Meagan responded to assist in tracking down a grand theft auto suspect that had fled the scene of an accident. The suspect had stolen a new Cadillac and was speeding along a street that was under construction. The suspect ended up getting air bourn over an open pit and crashed the vehicle. He was seen by a citizen fleeing the scene prior to the police officers response. An air unit that responded suggested a trailing dog. Sgt. Buttitta got to the scene within an hour of the accident. He used a pad and wiped the steering wheel, scenting Meagan just  outside the vehicle. Meagan trailed a third of a mile and located the suspect  hiding under a tree in some bushes and ivy.

OCEAN COUNTY BLOODHOUND UNIT LOCATES LOST CHILD

A group of juveniles were hanging out in a heavily wooded area, behind one of the children's houses. Once it started to get dark, the juveniles father drove out in the woods on an ATV to call them in for dinner. As the three children started to run in, one of them fell behind and didn't make it in. Deputy Adams was dispatched and arrived on scene three hours later. When he was briefed, the OIC didn't know if the child was trying to run away or fell and got hurt. Deputy Adams bagged a pair of blue jeans, that he had retrieved from the child's book bag, and took one of the children that was with him back into the woods to show him where they had been. Deputy Adams then scented his Bloodhound Cooper on the jeans, and she started to circle the area. She locked onto the trail pretty quick, and worked it hard the whole way. They went for about 1/2 of a mile through the woods, then crossed over a break in the fence line that paralleled an Interstate highway. Cooper worked that fence line hard and just stopped. Deputy Adams took out his light to see what she was doing, and she was in a group of pine trees wagging her tail. He followed the lead up to her and saw that she was standing in the missing child's lap. The child was shaking because the temp had dropped to about 40, and he was only wearing a soccer warm up suit. Congratulation Deputy Adams and Cooper. Keep up the good work. Deputy Adams and Cooper are 2003 graduates of the Canine Training Academy.

MORENO VALLEY: Police canines follow the trail of a man authorities say carjacked a vehicle.

MORENO VALLEY - A Santa Ana man suspected in a carjacking was found hiding in a restroom by two police dogs and was taken into custody Monday night, authorities said. Francisco Javier Gonzalez, 29, was taken by ambulance to Riverside County Regional Medical Center following his arrest and remained there Tuesday with facial injuries and dog bites, Moreno Valley Police Sgt. Lori Marquette said. He will eventually be booked into Robert Presley Detention Center and is facing carjacking and kidnapping charges, authorities said in a news release. Gonzalez was found in the bathroom of a makeshift construction-office trailer behind the Foothill Baptist Church in the 21000 block of Box Springs Road. Abbigail, a 1½-year-old bloodhound assigned to Riverside County Sheriff's Department Deputy Coby Webb, and Rocky, a 3-year-old Belgian Malanois, tracked Gonzalez to the trailer after police found a blood-stained shirt in the parking lot. "It was just incredible," Marquette said. "The dogs smelled the shirt and immediately tracked the suspect to that building. The capability these dogs have to smell is a million times better than ours. They're a valuable tool to law enforcement." Police say a man approached two Moreno Valley residents, who at about 6:30 p.m. were installing a car radio in a 1993 Honda Prelude at the Highland Meadows Apartments on Pigeon Pass Road. Police said he simulated a handgun under his shirt and asked the two men to drive him to an undisclosed location. The two men fled after driving a short distance, police said, and the man drove off in the Prelude. More than an hour later, the Prelude crashed into a dirt pile on the left side of westbound Highway 60, and the man fled.

DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS K9 UNIT TRACKS DOWN GEORGIA ESCAPEES

Congratulations to the Department of Corrections K-9 unit for a job well done. On 04-23-02 at approximately 0200 hours K-9 supervisor John Lutenberg was contacted by the Gunnison County Sheriff's Department to assist in the search for 3 fugitives who had escaped from a Georgia prison and were armed and dangerous.  Lutenberg contacted canine handlers John Rogers and Terry Brown and backup man Jim Dalton to assist in the search effort. Upon arrival, 2 suspects were in custody and one was still at large. At approximately 0600 hours the 4 men engaged in the search for the remaining fugitive. They scored the area analyzing foot print trails in order to find the remaining suspects footprints. After determining which tracks to follow, John Rogers started canine Cisco on the trail. The team advanced along the trail in a wilderness area northeast toward hills and ridges. After trailing the individual for approximately 1 mile, the trail turned uphill and into a steep ravine running up the hill to the top. The team continued to trail. About half way up the ridge, they were contacted by a Department of Wildlife officer who was monitoring their progress and scanning ahead with a visual devise. He advised the team that he saw something up ahead of the team about 150 yards that may be the suspect. As the team approached the area, Rogers pulled the dog from the trail and he and Lutenberg went to the right of the ravine while Dalton and Brown continued up the ravine. After Lutenberg and Rogers reached the top of a steep rock face, they they observed the suspect hiding among a group of boulders. A short foot chase ensued and the suspect was taken into custody without incident by all 4 members the search team. Handlers John Rogers and Terry Brown are 2001 graduates of The Canine Training Academy.

Congratulations to Jennifer Hendry and K9 Foley on a job well done. In April of 2005 Jennifer Hendry and her K9, Foley were called to assist in locating a12yr old student who ran away from his school when other students called him names. He was seen running southbound by an outbuilding at about 1:20pm.Jennifer and Foley were called at about 4:30 and arrived on scene at about 5:30.Jennifer interviewed his brother and a teacher who showed them to the student's gym locker to find a scent article. Foley was scented from one of the gym shoes belonging to the missing boy. Foley found a trail next to an outbuilding and he took off due south along the fence line.  He trailed off a hilltop down onto a 2 lane paved road, crossed the road, checked a dead-end short driveway, and then began trailing westbound down the asphalt. About 30-45' down the road, he cut back across to the north side and began pacing back and forth in front of a vine-covered bush. He started wiggling his body and wagging his tail. Then he promptly jumped on the bush.  Jennifer started calling out the student's name and got no answer. Foley kept running around on top of the bush and wagging his tail so she called out again. Finally she heard a "snap" where the bush gave way and then loud "OUCH!" as Foley jumped right on the student's back. He'd been hiding deep under the bush for approx. 5hrs.  Congratulations to Pam Medhurst and K9 Snickers on a job well done. In Oct 2005 Pam was and her Beagle Snickers were called to assist in locating a missing 13 year old autistic boy who had run from his home. The boy was reported to be upset and wearing only a pair of light weight shorts and tennis shoes. It was a pretty chilly night and he had been known to wander before. Pam started Snickers at a parking lot where the boy had possibly been sighted 5 hours earlier. The scenting conditions were good and Snickers took right off. Within a quarter mile Snickers dove into some bushes and there was the boy, curled up, cold and scared. Jennifer and Pam are graduates for the Canine Training Academy.

Tim and Sheri Whetsting and their Bloodhound Chili were called by the Eagar Police to help locate an eleven-year-old autistic girl who had been missing for about one hour. Directly behind the child's home one of the officers believed he'd found a track leading away form the house in the back. Sheri took Chile out back where the girl was last seen and scented him on a shirt that belonged to the missing girl. Chili immediately headed under a barbed wire fence and down a hill to the neighbor's yard, worked that area a bit, then came back up the hill and back under the fence. Then Chili went over to the side of the house and headed down the dirt driveway toward the road which was completely the opposite direction.. Chili continued across the driveway and into some junipers on missing girls property, zig-zagging his way through the trees. Chili crossed the road and went to a neighboring  house on the other side. The girl was located at this residence playing in a camper in the yard. The trail was approximately 1/4 mile long. Tim and Sheri are 2003 graduates of the Canine Training Academy.

Deputy Strickland and his Hound Chief responded to an escape from McCormick county jail. Deputy Strickland arrived an hour after the escape and started his hound chief from the place the subject was last scene. Chief picked up the scent immediately and worked through a thick patch into a field and through more thick woods having to crawl some of the way. After trailing about a mile, chief picked up the pace and shortly after that found the subject in a briar patch hiding. Chief identified the subject and he was taken into custody without incident. This is chiefs 4th find this year. Good job guys!

On June 14th around 1130 pm a burglary was committed in an urban convenience store The subject broke the front window glass with a brick and stole 10 cartons of cigarettes and some beer. Deputy Strickland and his hound Chief responded to the scene about one hour after the incident. After clearing all personnel from the area, Chief was able to acquire a trail that led them off the premises and into a briar patch where a six-pack of beer from the store was located. Chief continued the trail and led officers out of the briar patch and into a field where Chief circled for a minute and then continued. Chief worked the trail for another 1/2 mile to where the suspect jumped up in front of deputies and was apprehended without incident. Deputies recovered all the stolen items along the trail. "Good job Brandon and Chief."

On November of 2002 Deputy Brandon Strickland and his canine Chief were on patrol when Deputy Strickland noticed a truck in front of him driving erratically. When Deputy Strickland attempted to stop the vehicle the driver pulled over, jumped from the vehicle and ran into the nearby woods. Deputy Strickland called for back-up and had a perimeter set up. When back-up arrived, canine Chief was put to work on the suspects track. Chief tracked into the woods and found the suspects hat and jacket and then continued approximately 3/4 of a mile to a building where he located the suspect hiding under some billboard signs that were leaning against the building. Congratulations on a job well done. Brandon and Chief are 2002 graduates for The Canine Training Academy.

On 04/03/02 at 0130 hours Geraldine Earthman and her German Shepard Zara were called by Mesa County Sheriff's department to assist in tracking down a felony menacing suspect.  Deputies at the scene advised Earthman that four occupants from a vehicle ran after being stopped by deputies. Three of the four suspects had been apprehended by police and one was still at large. Earthman scented Zara from the driver seat of the suspects car. Zara began tracking north to a curve in the road and then tracked east between two houses to a canal bank. Zara then continued down into the dry ditch and began to alert on something at the bottom. Earthman found a glove the appeared to have been recently dropped there. Zara then continued the track east down the ditch for a short distance and then turned up the north ditch bank where Earthman could see footprints going up the bank. Zara then tracked east again along the north side of the canal to Alamo St. She then turned north on rd. 31, tracking to the front door of a residence. The deputies went to the front door while Earthman and Zara covered the backdoor. Within a few minutes the deputies reported they had taken the suspect into custody at the residence. Zara tracked approximately 11/4 miles. Congratulation Geraldine and Zara. They are two time graduates of the Canine Training Academy.

In July of 2002. Melissa Stormer and her Bloodhound Maria were called to assist the Iowa County Sheriff's department in tracking down a suicidal man. Police found the mans truck parked along a county road and called Melissa and Maria to the scene. The trail was approximately 3 hours old when they arrived and the mans family has already searched the area. Melissa scented Maria on a footprint on the passengers side of the missing mans vehicle. Maria took a trail away from the vehicle and under a fence, through a pine tree farm and then cut a right angle into a tall grassy area. Maria then stopped and raised her hackles up. Melissa looked through the grass and could view a mans arm on the ground through the tall grass about 15 feet in front of the dog. Police checked the body and found the man dead. Melissa and Maria are 2000 graduates of the Canine Training Academy. Melissa is a volunteer reserve deputy and dog handler for the Iowa County Sheriff's department. Good job Melissa and Maria.