Philadelphia Police Use LoJack to Recover Stolen Toyota Highlander, 2 Arrested Sleeping in Vehicle
- January 15, 2013
- recovery stories
On Monday, December 17, 2012, the owner of a 2007 Toyota Highlander contacted the Philadelphia Police Department to report that their vehicle was stolen from the area of 7000 Souder Street in Northeast Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Police verified the theft and had the Toyota’s information entered into the Philadelphia Police Computer System and national computer system, NCIS. This routine police action automatically activated the LoJack transponder concealed in the vehicle.
A short while later, officers from the Philadelphia Police Department’s 25th District picked up the silent LoJack homing signals from the stolen Toyota on the Police Tracking Computers installed in their marked patrol vehicle. Following the directional and audible cues from the LoJack computers, the officers tracked the vehicle to the area of 3400 Aramingo Avenue. The officers observed the parked vehicle, approached with caution and discovered that two individuals were asleep in the vehicle.
The officers announced, “Police” in a loud voice, awakening the sleeping suspects. The officers requested that they exit the vehicle with their hands raised. Both suspects complied with the officers’ request, and were quickly taken into custody. The suspects were transported to Philadelphia Police East Detective Division, where a detective was assigned to investigate. Both suspects were charged with violations of the Pennsylvania Crimes Code related to theft and the vehicle was confiscated for safekeeping.
The LoJack Vehicle Recovery System was installed in the 2007 Toyota Highlander on January 18, 2007 at Faulkner Toyota.