John thanked her for keeping her eyes and ears open. He told her to go on home and relax. He assured her he’d take care of everything.
Darlene drove home and jumped in the shower the minute she got home. She needed to wash off the dirty feeling she got from being at that “birthday party.” She stood under the hot water for a long, long time. She didn’t hear her home phone ring forty-five minutes later.
*****
Deputy John McGrew had just arrived home following his watch when Darlene’s call came in. His wife and two kids and their brother’s family were at the pizza parlor waiting for him. He made a call to his Watch Commander who asked him to come back to the station right away. He also called his wife’s cell phone and let her know he wouldn’t make the pizza party for the soccer team that night.
In the meantime, the Watch Commander reached his superior by phone which set off a flurry of calls ending up with San Diego County Sheriff Tishman. Sheriff Tishman organized a Major Case Task Force of his people and called Orange County Sheriff Nolan and filled him in. Tishman asked Nolan to join them at the North San Diego County Sheriff’s Station. Orange County had an Assault, Attempted Murder, and Grand Theft case hinging on the information. It was a very high profile case. Sheriff Nolan wanted it solved. He was getting pressure.
Nolan called Detective Brian Nelson and asked him and his partner Ron Bentley to join them at the Task Force meeting. Nolan told Nelson they might have information to break the case on the stolen horse and the little girl in a coma.
Nelson called his partner as he left his driveway and told him to meet him there. By the time John McGrew arrived back at his substation, the place was a mad house and he heard both Sheriffs and a Major Case Task Force were on their way. He was surprised this was coming together so fast. Once everyone arrived, they went into the conference room for a briefing. Sheriff Tishman put Deputy McGrew in front of the group. He told them what he knew. He’d tried to call his sister but got no answer. Darlene was in the shower and didn’t hear the phone.
The Sheriffs asked John to hang around and keep trying to reach his sister while they held their own private meeting. They planned what action to take and when. A lot of that depended on John’s sister being able to lead them to the site. They discussed strategy. They decided they’d bust an illegal party and take the two suspects in for questioning. San Diego County and Orange County Sheriff’s Departments would both take part.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Forensic Lab was working with FBI Records. They finally got a match to the print on the syringe found by the Howard’s horse trailer. Danny had a record and his prints were on file. Bingo! They now had a name to go with the evidence.
Brian Nelson had been working the case as a kidnapping for ransom. Now they had a live suspect. He was thrilled. According to the Deputy’s sister, these two suspects had stolen the horse for money to have a birthday party.
The stupidity of it all and the amount of time and resources wasted on a wild goose chase made him mad and sad at the same time. In the meantime, there was a little girl in Mission Hospital in a coma.
*****
John McGrew finally reached his sister by phone. He told her he was at his station. San Diego County Sheriff Tishman asked him to get her to the station so he and the Major Case Task Force could get information directly from her about the horse theft and the party she’d been to that day. She dressed in a hurry and flew out the door.
She was amazed and intimidated by all the officers in the conference room waiting for her. There were Deputies and Detectives from Orange County and San Diego County, Federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Hazardous Material Handling (HAZMAT) staff and Federal Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) members. Both Sheriff Tishman from San Diego and Sheriff Nolan from Orange County were in the room.
All eyes in the room were on her. Deputy McGrew stood up and introduced Darlene. He gave the group a general outline of what she’d told him that evening on the phone. Darlene felt stupid for getting herself into the mess in the first place and horribly self-conscious about speaking to such a large group of people.
Questions began flying at her. She answered each one as honestly as she could. Yes, she’d personally seen people going in and out of the barn. Yes, she’d seen what looked like wads of cash being shoved into Calvin Hix’s pocket after trips inside the barn. It was in the old barn on the property. No, she didn’t know what went on inside that barn because she hadn’t gone inside herself, but she was pretty sure they weren’t having a Tupperware party.
Yes, she’d had a conversation with one of the residents, a man named Danny. He admitted he and his brother Calvin stole a horse from the Swallows Day Parade the week before. Yes, Danny did describe the horse. He told her it was a pretty gray stallion. Yes, Danny told her they stole the horse to raise money for his birthday party. Yes, he told her they planned to sell the horse to a kill-buyer who was going to trailer the horse to Mexico for slaughter.
Yes, there were guns on the property. She’d watched several men taking turns shooting branches off trees. They were so drunk or otherwise impaired it scared her to death. And so on and so forth.
The questioning went on for more than an hour. Finally one of the deputies asked her to describe how to get to the place. She told him that they left the Drop Inn on the main road heading west until they were just about a half mile past the 7-11 at the end of town. Then they turned onto a dirt road she’d never noticed before, heading south. She said they drove five or six miles to the driveway.
“I know that place,” Deputy Jones said. “That’s the old Miller place. Bill bought that property way out in the woods so he wouldn’t have to put up with neighbors. He was always a hermit type. Real nice guy, though. Ran into him in town every week or so. He built that barn for his two horses. It was just him and those two horses and one old dog. He’s passed on. Heard he had a heart attack about six or seven years ago.”
“Thanks Darlene for your help on this. We all appreciate you being here so we could get the story straight from you. Do you mind if we call you with any more questions that come up?” Sheriff Tishman asked.
“No, not at all.” Darlene answered. “I’m just glad I’m able to help. Maybe you can find the missing horse. Those people are scary. I think Danny is not right in the head. I think that he could get dangerous with little provocation. His brother is the brains of the operation.”
“I think that’s all the questions we have for you right now. Again, thank you for coming down and talking with us. You are free to go home now. Would you like an escort?” Sheriff Tishman asked her.
“No, but thank you. I’ll be fine. I’m just tired and feeling pretty stupid for getting into that mess in the first place.” Darlene answered.
Sheriff Nolan spoke up. “Darlene, it was ill advised of you to go to that party and we are certainly glad you got home safely. You showed a lot of courage in coming forward with what you know. Without your help we would still be wondering what happened in that parking lot a week ago. We now have a chance to recover the horse and tell the young girl’s parents what happened. I believe with your information we will solve this case. Thank you for being so courageous.”
“Sheriff Nolan, it was the right thing to do. Now I’m going home. Call if you need anything else from me,” Darlene said.
Sheriff Tishman announced a fifteen minute break. He told the men in the room to be back by 9:30 p.m. so they could plan the raid. The men left the room searching for fresh coffee.
Sheriffs Tishman and Nolan led the meeting assembled in the conference room at nine-thirty. They had a map of the area blown up. They set up teams of Deputies with their assignments. They pointed out where they wanted the Haz-Mat Teams. They gave Drug Enforcement Agency teams their assignments. Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms received their instructions. The time set for their arrival at the cabin was 5:30 a.m. the next morning. Anyone on the property was to be arrested, not just the Hix brothers. Sheriff Nolan and his Detectives of Orange County
were going to take part because the Hix brothers were suspects in the Orange County cases for Grand Theft, Attempted Murder and other charges.
A current aerial map of the Miller property was enlarged and printed. The various teams were assigned a specific sector so no one on the property escaped. Deputy McGrew marked assignments on the property map. Sheriff Tishman brought in their command and control vehicle which included phones and computers. The Public Information Officer was given the go ahead to notify the media of a Press Conference set for 2:00 p.m. the next afternoon.
A call was made to the San Diego County District Attorney. He could start setting up his staff to handle the cases. The Sheriffs made another call to the Orange County District Attorney. The meeting adjourned close to eleven-thirty. The two Sheriffs told everyone to get some sleep. Everyone was to be back at the substation by 4:00 a.m. They needed to get their gear together and get to the property before 5:30.
Men poured out of the conference room, got in their cars and left. The Orange County Detectives and Sheriff got a local hotel room for the night so they wouldn’t spend the rest of the night driving.
Brian Nelson and Ron Bentley were anxious to get their hands on the Hix brothers. They wanted to find out where the horse was. They wanted to know why those two saw fit to put a 13-year-old girl in the hospital so they could steal him to raise money for a stupid birthday party. Brian personally wished he could choke the life out of Danny Hix for what he’d done to Becky Howard.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Detectives Nelson and Bentley arrived at the substation in their bullet proof vests. They pulled their Orange County Sheriff’s Department jackets over them to help identify themselves to other officers. They’d checked their weapons and made sure they had the right gear. No one had any idea what they would be walking into out in the woods.
The parking lot was full of Deputies gearing up. The Haz-Mat teams checked their gear and had everything loaded in their three vans. They left plenty of space in the vans for hauling out evidence. The Command and Control vehicle was idling and ready. The DEA teams were there and brought several dog teams along, just in case someone headed for the woods to escape. ATF Teams had their weapons checked. Everyone was tense and ready.
The parking lot began to empty, all vehicles following the Sheriff’s cars. Deputy Jones led. He was the only one who’d actually been to the property. Everyone parked quietly off the road a half mile from the cabin. The Haz-Mat teams and their vans parked across the road from the Sheriff’s. Deputies, ATF and DEA Agents got out of their cars. Everyone walked quietly to their assigned positions around the property. Everyone was absolutely quiet. Radios were turned down. Dogs were muzzled. All lights were off.
As the teams approached the property they noted people in sleeping bags in the dirt in front of the cabin. Others had fallen asleep in lawn chairs around and on the porch. Some used their cars to sleep in.
At 5:30 a.m., Sheriff Tishman gave the signal. He shouted “GO! GO! GO!” Officers assigned to the cabin drew their guns and jumped on the porch. They announced themselves as they busted the door off its hinges. They ran inside with guns drawn. Both Danny and Calvin were half dressed and in bed.
Calvin and Danny stared at the Deputies. Both had the “deer in the headlights” look of shock and fear. There was no one else in the cabin. They were handcuffed and marched outside.
K-9 Agents with dogs stood over the people in the open. They pulled the dogs muzzles off when Sheriff Tishman gave the signal. The dogs came alive with snarling and growling. The Agents and their dogs maintained control. Deputies stood suspects against the walls, legs spread. Suspects were searched and cuffed then force marched to waiting vehicles. Suspects already on the ground were rolled onto their bellies. They too were searched, then cuffed and hauled back to waiting cars. Most were too startled or terrified of the dogs to put up resistance. Dogs barked furiously, straining to get away from their handlers. Screaming and shouting from male and female party goers, Officers, and the dogs made a horrible racket in the darkness.
One man broke ranks and ran for the woods. A dog was turned loose on him. The dog’s handler ran to keep up. When the dog caught the man, terrified screaming echoed through the woods. The dog brought the man down. The dog, snarling savagely through clamped jaws, held the man down on his belly. The man’s upper arm was in the dog’s mouth. The dog stood on his back. His handler arrived and sat on the man as he cuffed him. The officer hauled him to his feet and escorted him back out of the woods. The dog continued snarling and snapping at the suspect’s heels the whole way. The man sniveled and cried out in fear.
Deputies assigned to vehicles searched for suspects inside with flashlights. When they found someone inside a car, a Deputy smashed out the side window of the car with his nightstick. Startled suspects were helped outside by Deputies with their guns drawn. One Deputy leaned them across the hood of their car at gunpoint while his partner searched and cuffed them.
The officers rounded up a total of twenty-nine people. Thanks to the dogs, no one escaped. All suspects were in cars or vans waiting to be hauled to jail. One by one, officers checked each person for their identity. That information was passed on to the Command and Control vehicle. The suspect was run through the computer looking for Wants and Warrants.
The Deputies found all of the people arrested were wanted. Wants and Warrants showed them guilty of Failure to Appear in Traffic Court, suspected Child Abuse, Burglary, Drug Sales and Possession, Parole Violation, Auto Theft, etc.
A DEA Agent checked out the barn. He kicked the door in. He went inside with his gun drawn. He found no one there. “Clear!” he shouted to the others.
The Agent confirmed what Darlene suspected. This was a meth lab. It was full of product ready for sale and all the equipment needed to make it. He backed out and called the Hazardous Material teams up to start loading their vans.
The Sheriff sent Deputies back inside the cabin to gather evidence. All vehicles on the property were checked for ownership and run through the computers. Low and behold there were two stolen cars sitting there. Deputies went through the cars looking for evidence. Other Deputies went through the sleeping bags. Many items were tagged for evidence. The Deputies in the cabin found one handgun and one rifle that had been recently fired. They were bagged and tagged. Lots of contraband was found in pants pockets, sleeping bags, purses, cars and inside the cabin.
All in all, it took several hours to collect the evidence at the scene. Deputies began processing suspects in the Command and Control vehicle. Those processed were driven to jail for lock-up.
When all the evidence had been collected, the Sheriff called the operation completed. All the officers headed back to the substation. They needed to process the rest of the suspects and set up the charges for each of them.
The substation was a flurry of activity within a few minutes. Suspects were connected to evidence, charges were established, paperwork processed and suspects moved into jail cells. All the evidence collected was assigned to a suspect or suspects. There weren’t enough cells in the small substation, so prisoners were moved to other facilities in vans with Deputy Escorts.
The Hix brothers were separated at the property. Calvin and Danny were locked in interview rooms, chained to the tables inside.
Brian Nelson and Ron Bentley had been partners for years. Each had their own particular style when interviewing suspects. Brian coaxed information out while Ron had a more hard edged style. Between them, they’d already decided Danny would be the easier one to interview, so Brian took him and Ron took Calvin. They expected Calvin to say nothing and “lawyer up” right away.
Both interviews were taped and video recorded. Sheriff Nolan stood behind the two way mirror looking into the interview room with Calvin Hix. Ron Bentley entered the room and sat down in a chair across from Calvin. He took out a pad and pen. He asked Calvin for his full name and asked him to spell it for him. Calvin complied. Ron asked him about the horse stolen at the parade last
weekend.
“I don’t know nothin’ about that.” Calvin snarled.
“Well, we know you stole the horse and you and your brother probably sold him for a few hundred bucks. Were you aware that particular horse is really worth about 2.5 million dollars?” Ron asked. Calvin swallowed hard and his eyes bugged out a bit at that, but he said nothing.
“If you just tell us what happened, tell us the truth, things will go easier on you.” Ron told him. He looked directly in Calvin’s eyes. “Right now there are serious charges against you and Danny. Make it easy on yourself and tell me what happened.”
“I want to talk to a lawyer first.” Calvin spat, giving Ron an evil look. “I don’t have to talk to you at all without my lawyer present you know. I know my rights!”
Ron told Calvin his partner was talking with Danny at that very minute and Danny was telling him everything.
“Danny’s blaming you for this, you know. Are you sure you don’t want to tell me the truth and make this a little easier on yourself?” Ron asked.
“Like I said, I ain’t talkin’ to you without my lawyer!” shouted Calvin.
He was sweating and tense, pulling on the chain holding his handcuffs to the table. He fidgeted in the chair which made the ankle bracelets clank.
“Can I have something to drink?” he finally asked.
“Sure, be right back. Any preference? Coffee, Coke, Water?” asked Ron as he stood to leave the room.
“Coke’s fine.” Calvin answered, not looking at him.
Ron conferred with Sheriff Nolan in the corridor. That interview had gone as expected. Ron went to call the DA and arrange for a Public Defender for Calvin.
Detective Brian Nelson was having just the opposite situation in the interview room with Danny. Danny was scared out of his wits. And he wasn’t the brightest bulb in the package either. Danny was spilling his guts.
He told Detective Nelson everything in great detail. Brian secretly thanked the department for video tape. He couldn’t scribble notes fast enough to keep up with Danny. Brian Nelson kept repeating questions and Danny answered them the same way every time.
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