BOGUS 911 REPORT LANDS MAN IN JAIL.

Byline: Sylvia L. Oliande Daily News Staff Writer

With his friend in danger of flunking a roadside sobriety test being given by deputies, Curt Klotz called the only number he could think of for help - 911.

But police say Klotz's report of a shooting at nearby Westlake High School didn't create the diversion he had hoped. Instead of interrupting the drunk-driving test being given to his buddy Christopher Ritchie the call drew a swarm of officers to the Thousand Oaks Boulevard site.

And once police determined there hadn't been a shooting, they set out to figure out what the shooting report was all about. They concluded that Klotz, who was a passenger in Ritchie's car, had left the scene on the pretense of using a nearby restroom but instead went to a pay phone and called 911.

And not only did Klotz fail to avert his friend's arrest, authorities said, he was jailed himself. Ritchie, 30, of Canoga Park was in custody in lieu of $1,500 bail on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, while Klotz, 25, was being held on $500 bail for falsely reporting an emergency.

While it was a more elaborate ruse than authorities usually see, Ventura County sheriff's Capt. Rod Thompson said it's fairly common for suspects to try to divert deputies away from the task at hand.

``It happens all too often,'' Thompson said. ``This guy probably thought it wasn't a big deal. During (sobriety tests) we usually only get sidewalk attorneys, people who say, you don't have to answer his questions, or he should have a lawyer. Sometimes they go to jail for that, and sometimes they listen to reason and stop.''