Traffic-Violation Stop Turns Into Drug Coup

A 22-year-old Canoga Park man made just two little mistakes when he drove through the San Fernando Valley with 125 pounds of cocaine in the trunk of a car, Los Angeles police said Tuesday. But, together, they cost him dearly.

David Duane Wooley was driving a car without a license plate registration sticker. On top of that, police said, he hesitated before passing a police car that slowed to let him by.

As a result, two officers on patrol in Granada Hills Monday night made a routine traffic stop that became a million-dollar cocaine bust.

Police said that Wooley, who is on probation for a robbery conviction, was arrested on suspicion of possessing illegal narcotics for sale and was being held at the Van Nuys jail in lieu of $2-million bail.

He was also cited for the improper registration.

‘Routine Stop Important’

“Every now and then, you hit the big one,” said Capt. Tim McBride, Devonshire Division patrol commander. “We tell our officers that this kind of routine traffic stop is important because you never know what you will find.”

Police conservatively estimated the value of the drugs found in the trunk of the 1978-model car Wooley was driving at $1.1 million if sold wholesale.

Wooley was arrested by Officers Sally Barnes and Terry Richardson. McBride said the officers had been patrolling in Northridge Park when they pulled onto Reseda Boulevard about 9:30 p.m.

As the officers passed Wooley, they noticed the car he was driving had no registration sticker on its license plate. The officers then slowed down to let Wooley pass.

“The car didn’t pass at first--the driver hesitated,” McBride said. “When he finally did pass, he seemed to the officers to be acting very nervous. That aroused their suspicions.”

No Registration

They signaled Wooley to pull over at Mayall Street. Police said Wooley had no registration for the car and told officers he did not know who owned it. Police learned that Wooley was wanted on an outstanding traffic warrant. They arrested him and impounded the car.

McBride said that, as Barnes and Richardson waited for the car to be towed away, they opened the trunk as part of a routine inspection and found the cocaine in 56 kilo-sized packages of gauze and plastic. McBride said a field test confirmed the cargo was cocaine.

“We certainly don’t think a 22-year-old kid is the ring leader of a drug operation,” McBride said. “He probably fits in somewhere between message boy and wholesaler.”

McBride said Wooley declined to talk to officers about the cocaine. The car has been traced to its owner, but police declined to name that person because of a continuing investigation.