Tuesday December 04 05:46 PM EST

Dog's 911 call leads to marijuana bust

By Hozaifa Cassubhai, Court TV

COLUMBUS, Ohio ( Court TV) — A dog may be many men's best friend, but not Nandor C. Santho. At least not after Santho's dog helped turn him in to police in what may be the biggest drug bust in Delaware County history.

On Thanksgiving Day, police received a 911 call that sounded like a woman in trouble. They traced the call to Santho's cellular phone and within minutes arrived at Santho's home, where house guest Randell Hackworth let them in.

Officers found no emergency, but a walk-through of the basement uncovered a small greenhouse equipped with motorized tracks under a complex array of lights. On the tracks lay 150 marijuana plants.

Santho, 46, arrived shortly thereafter, having been hunting with his dog. Upon seeing his house surrounded by police, Santho tried to escape in his truck, but was quickly surrounded and apprehended. Santho was charged with illegal manufacturing of drugs, while Hackworth, 27, was charged with drug possession.

The police, initially stumped as to who made the 911 call, soon turned their attention to the front passenger seat of Santho's truck. There sat Santho's dog with his tongue hanging out. Underneath him lay the cellphone. Police believe the dog stepped on the phone, pressing the speed-dial button set for 911.

-- Anonymous, December 04, 2001