Dodge Magnum Stolen in CarJacking in Orlando, Recovered 1 Hour Later, Undamaged
- June 15, 2012
- recovery stories
In the afternoon of April 5, 2012, the owner of a 2007 Dodge Magnum was stopped at a traffic light near the Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando. He was approached by two men armed with handguns and ordered out of his car. The men then entered the car and drove off.
The owner immediately contacted the Orlando Police Department to report the theft. After completing a vehicle theft report, the Orlando Police had the Dodge’s information entered into the state and federal crime computers. 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.
Approximately 45 minutes later, a deputy with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office picked up the Dodge’s homing signal on the LoJack Police Tracking Computer (PTC) installed in his department vehicle. He was joined by members of the Orlando Police Department and a helicopter from Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Using the directional and signal strength indicators on their PTCs, they determined the signal was emanating from the garage of a private residence in Winter Garden, Florida. While gathering information for a search warrant, officers discovered that the house was abandoned and that the garage lock was broken. They entered the garage and recovered the car. The vehicle was processed and fingerprints were obtained. A suspect has been identified and is currently being sought.
The Dodge was recovered with no damage and returned to the very happy owner The LoJack Vehicle Recovery System was installed in the Dodge Magnum at the owner’s request in November 2007.