LAPD Officers Stop Stolen Chevrolet Silverado, Arrest Suspect, Minutes After Theft is Reported

  • May 3, 2012
  • recovery stories
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On the morning of March 22, 2012, the owner of a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado contacted the Los Angeles Police Department’s Wilshire Division to report the vehicle stolen.

LAPD officers completed a stolen vehicle report and had the Silverado’s information entered into the state and federal crime computers – a routine police action that automatically activated the LoJack transponder concealed within the vehicle. Neither the owners nor law enforcement agents had to do anything else to activate the LoJack Vehicle Recovery Network, because LoJack’s interface with the police is both seamless and instantaneous.

Minutes later, officers with LAPD’s Southeast Division picked up the Chevrolet’s LoJack signal on their patrol vehicle’s LoJack Police Tracking Computer. Following the directional and signal strength cues on the computer, the officers tracked the Silverado onto the 110 Freeway northbound at Gage Ave, where they observed one male suspect driving the stolen Silverado. When the requested back-up units arrived, the officers conducted a high-risk traffic stop, taking the suspect into custody. The officers’ investigation revealed that the driver’s window had been broken out and the suspect had utilized a screwdriver to start the vehicle. The suspect was also using gloves to conceal his prints. The suspect was arrested for Driving without Owners Consent. Southeast Detectives are conducting the investigation.