- Someone is burglarizing businesses but only taking part of the money and leaving an empty milk bottle. When officers Friday and Smith apprehend the young Elroy they discover he's not doing it for monetary reasons.
- Season 4 Episode 9 Synopsis - The Big Present 10-21-54 Friday, Smith are working the day-watch out of Burglary Division, the boss is Captain Bernard. In the past two months a thief had broken into eighteen markets, he needed to be stopped. Lt. Dick Whitley, Juvenile gets an update from Friday, Smith on their mystery robber, leaving an empty milk bottle at each market robbery, not taking hardly anything at any location, never touching any safe. Another robbery from the milk bottle burglar, Friday, Smith respond to the call. The crime lab had been dispatched to the location. Ray Pinker, forensics, has nothing to report, no fingerprints, the take was some cigarette cartons, candy bars. A canvas of the neighborhood, and talking to the neighbors, for any clues to the robbery was pursued. This was number nineteen; no sighting of a suspicious vehicle at any site.
The thief operated only on Friday or Saturday night, between eight and twelve midnight. A rolling stakeout was placed in the area, Friday, Smith hear a burglar alarm, they drive to the alarm sound. A youngster is running from the scene of the alarm, Smith nabs him, Friday questions him. Nothing but attitude from the teenager, who appears to be small for his age, brought by Smith to the youth. They bring him to Juvenile Division offices, Lt. Virgil Hartgrove, Juvenile, talks to Friday, while Smith holds the teen in the hall. Friday tells Hartgrove the kid will not give a name nor an address, unless the press is there. Hartgrove poses as a reporter, the kid admits to nineteen break-ins. He gives his name as Elroy Graham. Elroy attempts to tell lie why he committed the crimes, none of the officers are believing his story. He begins to cry, as he tells them the truth, he is four-feet seven, eighty-five pounds, always getting pushed around. He pulled the burglaries to be big at school, he couldn't do it in stature, maybe the notoriety of the nineteen jobs would make him well known. He couldn't do anything about being little, he just didn't wanted them to think he was small.
The teen's parents were contacted, they were brought up to date on his actions, at the station. He was booked as a juvenile, because of the numerous robberies, but was held in his parent's custody, pending a hearing in juvenile court. His parents were to help return the stolen property where possible, and to make restitution where recovery was impossible.
Elroy Graham was released to the custody of a Probation Officer and returned to his parents' home with the condition that he be placed under the care of a competent psychiatrist.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content