Large Dallas Chop Shop Uncovered — 6 Stolen Vehicles and Parts Recovered, 3 Arrests Pending
- February 22, 2012
- recovery stories
On the morning of February 3, 2012, the owner of a 2001 Ford Mustang contacted the Dallas Police Department to report his vehicle stolen.
After verifying the theft and completing a stolen vehicle report, the Dallas Police had the Mustang’s VIN entered into the Texas state and federal crime computer databases. This routine police action automatically activated the LoJack transponder concealed in the Mustang and initiated the tracking of the vehicle. Neither the owner nor law enforcement had to do anything else to activate the LoJack Stolen Vehicle Recovery Network because LoJack’s interface with law enforcement is both seamless and instantaneous.
Forty nine minutes later, Dallas Police officers picked up the silent LoJack signal from the stolen Mustang on the LoJack Police Tracking Computer installed in their vehicle. Following the computer’s cues, they tracked the stolen Mustang to an automobile repair shop in the 2300 block of Empire Central. The stolen Mustang was parked in front of the shop, which was open for business. Officers went inside the shop and inspected the vehicles they had inside. Officers were able to identify six other stolen vehicles, including:
— 2005 Nissan Altima
— 2004 GMC pickup
— 2002 Ford F350, missing the motor and transmission
— The bed to a 2003 Chevrolet pickup
— 2003 Lincoln pickup completely stripped
— Parts to a 2008 Harley Davidson motorcycle
Witnesses stated that the suspects were using tow trucks to steal these vehicles. The owner of the shop stated that he was leasing the shop to three individuals. These individuals have been identified and arrest warrants are pending.
The LoJack Vehicle Recovery System was installed in the Ford Mustang at the previous owner’s request on January 29, 2004.