Rustling

Written by
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## Briefing

A gang go around stealing cattle with dirt bikes, the insurance companies aren't happy and require immediate action. Ponch organises a surprise birthday party for Jon.

## Traffic Violations

* Speeding motorist - Arrested.
* Running a red light - Citation given.
* Drunk Driver - Arrested

## Report

Jon and Ponch are chasing a car in a high rise parking lot, the chase ends when he takes a corner sharply and side swipes another parked car. The driver resists arrest and warns them, Jon tells Ponch he's the type to get even and to be careful what he says.

Back at Central Jon asks Ponch to start on the reports since he's got to make an important phone call. Ponch tells him he needs to start them as he needs to stop by Personnel.

Ponch spots Mamie at reception and invites her to Jon's surprise birthday party, however it will cost her 10 bucks for the pleasure.

A gang on dirt bikes steal a herd of cattle.

The next day Jon and Ponch are out on patrol. Ponch tells Jon he's made plans for him on Friday night, Jon tells him he's already got a date. Ponch tells him to bring her too for a double date, Jon wants to know what he's got planned. Ponch tells him he just wants to get to know him better, Jon tells him they spend 40 hours together plus overtime. Their conversation is interrupted when a call goes out to them regarding livestock on the freeway, Jon calls it in that they're responding.

When they arrive there's cattle wandering around all over the freeway. Baricza is there with another officer. Using their bikes, horns and sirens they herd the cattle back into their patch of land. The owner of the cattle tells them that the fench was cut, Ponch notices the tire tracks from the dirt bikes. Ponch goes to see Baricza and invites him to the party and skims the 10 bucks off him on the sly.

Jon and Ponch stop a car going through an red light. Ponch is mesmerised by the female driver and mixes up his words, Jon has to correct him. Jon asks her for her drivers licence but before she hands it over the passenger interrupts and tells them he's her Uncle. He performs a series of magic tricks in front of Ponch while Jon writes the citation. The woman asks if she has to sign the ticket and Jon confirms she does, she asks him for a pen. The magician offers Jon a pen but Jon prefers to use his pen in case the magicians one is filled with invisible ink. The magician hands Ponch his card and his name is Marvello the Great. She begins tearing the ticket in front of Jon and Ponch, Jon is watching her somewhat bewildered and annoyed. She unfolds the torn ticket and it's whole again. Ponch laughs.

Gotcha!
Later Ponch goes to visit Getraer in his office to invite him to Jon's party, as per usual it will cost 10 bucks. Jon walks in on them apologising for being late since he was writing up reports alone again.

The phone rings and Getaer answers it, it's about Jon and Ponch, the CA's office has requested they come to court over the driver named Ambrose they arrested the previous day. He's requested an immediate trial and he's been given it, Getraer hands them the details. Jon walks out and Ponch gives Getraer a look, Getraer reaches into his pocket and gives him 10 bucks.

At the County of Los Angeles Municipal Traffic Court, Ponch is giving his statement of events leading up to the arrest of Ambrose. Ambrose then takes the stand and is asked if he resisted arrest. Ambrose tells the CA that he thought Ponch was going to hit him with his cuffs and as a reflex action seemed like he was resisting arrest and then apologises to him. The CA asks him about his reckless driving, and Ambrose doesn't deny it, however he tells the court there was a malfunction when he tried to change from cruise control and couldn't slow down. The CA pleads to the court that this wasn't reckless driving, rather a malfunction in equipment. Ponch whispers something to the prosecutor and Jon walks out of the courtroom, Ambrose wonders what's going on. The prosecutor begins asking Ambrose about his car while Jon is outside rifling through Ponch's saddle bags. The prosecutor asks for Ponch to take the stand again just as Jon arrives back into court, he hands the prosecutor a slip of paper. Ambrose wants to know what's going on but the CA raises his hand to Ambrose. The prosecutor asks Ponch if it's normal for an officer to do a mechanical inspection following an arrest, Ponch tells him they don't normally but they knew Ambrose would try and get cute with them. The prosecutor asks Ponch why he didn't check the cruise control, Ponch tells him he didn't have to and the prosecution asks him why.

Ponch tells the court that when you apply breaks on a car in cruise control the car disengages from cruise control and the brake lights activate. If there was a mechanical failure then the stop lights wouldn't have worked. The prosecutor presents the slip Jon went out for and tells the judge it's a statement from the service manager of the automobile agency where Ambrose purchased his car, it corroborates Ponch's testimony. The CA changes his clients plea to guilty as charged.

On patrol Jon and Ponch witness a car driving erratically and when it comes off an off ramp it weaves past a car and clips the side of it cause the clipped car to run off the embankment and roll. Jon goes to help the woman driver while Ponch chases after the reckless driver.

Jon attempts to free the woman but she seems to be stuck on something, the engine catches fire and it spreads. After a while he manages to free her and carry her off to safety, the woman is very grateful and doesn't want Jon to let go of her.

Ponch finally catches up to the reckless driver and pulls him over. The man seems drunk and doesn't seem to realise what he's done until Ponch tells him otherwise. The man becomes upset that he might have killed someone. Getraer arrives.

While Jon is comforting the woman driver she tells Jon the pain has gone but now she can't move her legs and begins panicking. Jon tells her to remain still and to take her mind off it he asks her her name, she tells him it's Susan Wyatt but she's known as Susie. Jon asks her how old she is and she tells him she's 17, and she tells Jon where she was going. The fire department and the paramedics arrive and Jon tells her they'll take care of her, she grips his arm tightly. Ponch and Getraer arrive and watch from a distance.

Susie is put on a gurney and Jon tells her he has to leave her now, Susie gives out a yelp since she doesn't want to let go of Jon. Jon promises he'll keep in touch, but she still won't let go, Jon has to pry her fingers off his arm.

Back at Central Jon is distracted and Ponch invites him to briefing. Getraer goes over another cattle rustling and to pull over anyone they suspect is carrying stolen goods and what to look out for. Jon walks out halfway through briefing, Getraer notices but doesn't say anything.

Jon is ringing the hospital to check up on Susie. Marie tells Jon that it's too soon to find out if there's any permanent spinal damage. He finds out that the CHP has sent a bunch of flowers to Susies room.

Baricza spots a cattle truck and calls it in requesting backup. Jon and Ponch respond to the request. The truck pulls over to the shoulder and Baricza tells everyone to get out of the truck and recognises the driver. It's Hoskin's from the cattle incident on the freeway the previous day. Baricza asks for his documentation but he tells him he doesn't need it and Baricza doesn't understand and tells him to step out of the truck. Hoskin's obliges. Hoskin's tells Baricza that there's no bill of lading because the cattle has yet to be sold and the ones in the truck are the ones they rescued the previous day. Baricza asks for a weight certificate but Hoskin's tells him he doesn't need all that red tape. Baricza notices that the cattle in the truck has a different brand to the ones they rescued the previous day. Baricza tells Hoskins that the cattle in his truck belong to another ranch, but Hoskin's tells Baricza that they are his brand and they come from another ranch. Hoskin's tells Buck they have a brand registration and Buck reaches to get the paperwork. Baricza walks to the passenger side door and reaches for the paperwork, as soon as he takes it, Buck slams the door into Bracza and he spins against the truck and falls on the ground.

Hoskin's and Buck run to the end of the truck and open the back door, they get on dirt bikes and ride off. Jon and Ponch ride up to Baricza to check up on him but he seems okay and tells them to catch them. After a long chase they end up in a dirt quarry and Jon gets off his bike while Ponch herds them back to where Jon is. Jon uses a water hose to stop the thieves.

Back at Jon's apartment Ponch surprises Jon with his surprise birthday party. Jon tells them his birthday isn't for a couple of months. Ponch tells him he looked at his personnel file, Jon tells him he looked at his employer number. Getraer tells them it doesn't matter since it will be somebody's birthday. Ponch has invited over Marvello the Great to perform a few tricks for Jon's party.

Getraer tells Jon he's got a call. It's Marie updating Jon on Susie Wyatt's condition, she tells him she's going to be okay. Jon invites her to his 'birthday' party. Jon gives Ponch the good news.

Ponch asks Marvello if he's got any magic tricks, Marvello tells Ponch he's got a new act but it's still in the experimental stage. Marvello asks for milk and newspaper. Marvello makes a cone and starts pouring the milk in the cone, it leaks somewhat. He tells everyone to stand back and then tosses the contents of the newspaper around the room. The milk goes all over the place.

## Notes

* Jon has a payphone in his apartment (don't ask!).
* Jon told Ponch he has a date on the Friday, Ponch, wanted to surprise Jon with a party. On the day Jon doesn't bring a date but instead invites an old friend who's a nurse.

### Codes used.

* 11-85 - Send a tow truck
* 11-48 - Transportation request
* Form 555 - Traffic Collision Report
* Form 202 - Driving Under the Influence Arrest
* CA - California Attorney
* 11-80 - Traffic Accident; major injuries
* Section 2810A - Inspection to Prevent Theft
* 10-4 - Message received

## Quotes

* Jon: I've just been talking to, Sgt Getraer, about furthering your career, and I think I convinced him you'd make a better officer, if you had a little more experience at report writing. Now this thing, if you don't know is a 555. This is a 202. And er this unfamiliar object is a pencil, heh. See you in the A.M. partner. Okay?

* Woman driver/[Jon]: You're so serious. We're just trying to lighten up your life. [No, really. I appreciate it. It's just eh, I'm trying to lengthen yours.]
* Ponch/[Getraer]: How would you like to go to a party? [Er, Poncherello, you invite your friends to parties.] You're my friend. [Yeah, but are you mine?]
* Jon/[Susie]: You go to school? [Valley High. I was going to an awards thing. The Palladium.] Were you going to get an award? [I'm the honoured graduate.] Bet you got all A's, huh? [No. I got one B, in cooking. But it's okay because I'm going to be a nurse anyway.] You just remind me to get sick and not to get hungry, okay?

## Cast

### Main Cast

* Larry Wilcox: Jon Baker
* Erik Estrada: Frank Poncherello
* Robert Pine: Joe Getraer

### Recurring

* Brodie Greer: Baricza
* Lew Saunders: Fritz
* Paul Linke: Grossman

### Others

* Alice Ghostley: Mamie
* L.Q. Jones: Hoskins
* Mills Watson: Ambrose
* Pamelyn Ferdin: Susie
* Kay Peters: Judge Linda
* Fred Beir: Farrell
* Zacki Murphy: Ginny
* Carl Ballantine: Marvello The Great
* Chris Forbes: Maria
* Paul Tuerpe: Buck
* Kirk Mee: Deputy City Attorney
* G.W. Bailey: The Drunk Driver