CA Officers Recover Stolen Toyota Corolla in Santa Ana, Suspect Arrested for Theft, Drug Charges
- August 8, 2012
- recovery stories
On July 9, 2012, the owner of a Toyota Corolla contacted the Fullerton Police Dept to report that their vehicle had been stolen. Fullerton Police verified the theft and entered the vehicle’s information into the state and federal crime computers, which automatically activated the LoJack transponder concealed in the Toyota.
A short while later, officers from Buena Park and Anaheim Police Departments picked up the silent LoJack signal from the Toyota Corolla on the Police Tracking Computers installed in their patrol cars. Following the directional and signal strength cues from the LoJack computers, the officers tracked the vehicle and quickly located it traveling southbound on Euclid Street. Officers briefly lost sight of the vehicle, but soon located it again in a parking lot in the city of Santa Ana. Anaheim Police set up surveillance on the vehicle and a short time later, detectives observed a female enter the vehicle and sit in the driver’s seat. As she began to back up the vehicle, officers and detectives descended upon the Toyota and detained the female suspect without further incident.
Detectives searched the vehicle following the arrest and located a purse containing the suspect’s ID, as well as pills and what appeared to be marijuana. They also located a bag under the seat containing what appeared to be methamphetamine. The suspect was transported to Anaheim Detention Facility and booked for the vehicle theft and drug charges.The Toyota was stored and held for safekeeping until the victim could retrieve it.
The LoJack Vehicle Recovery System was installed in the Toyota Corolla in January of 1999 at Power Toyota.