Toyota Corolla Stolen from Service Station with Engine Running, Atlanta Police Recover it Undamaged & Abandoned
- April 6, 2012
- recovery stories
On March 13, 2012, the owner of a 2010 Toyota Corolla stopped at a service station for a driving break and left the car running. A person standing around the building saw an opportunity and took it, driving off in the Corolla.
Lucky for him, a LoJack Vehicle Recovery System had been installed in the Toyota by a certified LoJack technician at Atlanta Toyota when the vehicle was new. When the theft was reported to the Atlanta Police Department, the vehicle’s information was entered into the NCIC state and federal crime computer systems. This action automatically activated the LoJack transponder concealed inside the Toyota. Neither the owner nor law enforcement agents had to do anything else to activate the hidden transponder because LoJack’s interface with the police is both seamless and instantaneous.
A short time later, the LoJack unit hidden inside the Toyota began emitting a silent homing signal to police cars in the area equipped with LoJack tracking computers. An Atlanta Police officer equipped began tracking the Toyota off of the downtown connector to an apartment complex, where the officer located it abandoned and in excellent condition.
A detective was called to the scene to process the vehicle for prints and a possible arrest. The thief was not located, but the detective believes that this was just a temporary stop for this vehicle. The suspect may have targeted the Toyota to switch the VIN # and resell the vehicle to an unsuspecting person. LoJack once again saved the day, reuniting a grateful owner with their vehicle.