Stolen Chevrolet Tahoe Recovered with Other Vehicle Parts, by LASD Deputies Using LoJack

On September 13, 2012, the owner of a 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe contacted the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD), Lakewood Station to report that their vehicle was stolen from the street in Lakewood. LASD deputies verified the theft and entered the vehicle information into the state and federal crime computers, which automatically activated the LoJack transponder concealed in the Chevrolet.

A short while later, a deputy from LASD Lakewood Station picked up the silent LoJack homing signals from the stolen Chevrolet on the Police Tracking Computer installed in his patrol vehicle. Following the directional and audible cues from the LoJack computers, the deputy tracked the vehicle to the 4300 block of Compton Boulevard. He requested a back-up unit to respond to his location – an abandoned auto repair where squatters have been living. The officers obtained a search warrant and proceeded to search the location. Inside, they located the stolen Tahoe, partially stripped, along with numerous parts from other vehicles all over the building. The officers recovered the Tahoe and several other identifiable car parts, and arrested one suspect for Grand Theft Auto and other felony charges.