Honda Minivan Owner Thrown from Vehicle, Run Over During Theft — Suspect Arrested Minutes Later
- June 10, 2012
- recovery stories
On the evening of May 7, 2012, the owner of a 2007 Honda Odyssey van was sitting in her vehicle in an elementary school parking lot, waiting for her children. A suspect was inside the school attempting to steal laptop computers and when he was seen, he ran out of the school and into the parking lot. The suspect ran up to the Honda van, pulled the owner out of the driver’s seat, jumped into the van and attempted to drive off. The owner was caught underneath the van, run over and dragged for a distance. She fell free and the suspect drove away in her van.
The owner reported the theft to the Pantego Police Department; officers entered the van’s information into the state and federal crime computer systems. This routine police action automatically activated the LoJack transponder concealed in the vehicle, prompting it to begin emitting a silent homing signal. Neither the owner nor law enforcement agents had to do anything else to activate the LoJack Vehicle Recovery Network, as LoJack’s interface with law enforcement is both seamless and instantaneous.
Less than 30 minutes later, Arlington Police officers picked up the silent LoJack homing signal on the LoJack Police Tracking Computer installed in their vehicle. Following the tracking computer’s cues, the officers were able to locate the stolen van, traveling at a high rate of speed eastbound on Abrams Street. Officers attempted to stop the van, and a chase ensued. The officers lost sight of the stolen van, but continued to track the LoJack signal. They again located the vehicle, abandoned a short distance away, with the driver’s side door open. Officers managed to locate the suspect, who was attempting to kick in the back door of a residence. The suspect was apprehended. The van owner’s driver’s license was found in his pants pocket, and he was arrested. The van owner was transported to the hospital and is expected to recover from her injuries.
The LoJack Vehicle Recovery System was installed at the owner’s request in May 2007.