Rock House Ram Gets Results--Without a Move
The Los Angeles Police Department’s much-publicized armored vehicle equipped with a battering ram was credited Tuesday with knocking over another alleged dope dealers’ house--but it wasn’t even in the neighborhood.
According to narcotics Lt. Dick Koskelin, foot patrol officers Danny Contreras and Daniel Ruiz went to the fortified house in the 800 block of West 94th Street, where they could smell the ether used in making PCP, but got no response to their knocks except the sounds of breaking glass and someone running around inside.
One of the officers then banged on the outside of the house and shouted: “Get out of the way, here comes the tank.”
At that, Koskelin said, the front door flew open and a woman burst out shouting, “Let me get out of this place before that thing hits!”
She was identified as Frances Nichols, 42, and was booked on suspicion of selling PCP, as was Leearta Holliman, 47. Both were held in lieu of $2,000 bail. A third suspect, Alice Smith, 29, was held for alleged possession of PCP. Her bail was set at $1,000.
Koskelin said officers confiscated 30 cocaine rocks, 13 ounces of PCP, three handguns, seven shotguns and a rifle.
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