NYPD Uses LoJack to Recover Stolen Toyota Forklift, Suspect Arrested
- January 31, 2013
- recovery stories
On January 10, 2013, the owner of a 2012 Toyota Forklift contacted the New York Police Department to check on the status of the forklift, which he had reported stolen back in November of 2012. Unfortunately, there was an error made in the reporting of the theft, and it was never properly entered into the system.
Once the detectives discovered the error, they immediately started working to properly correct it. They entered the vehicle information into the state and federal crime computer systems, which automatically activated the LoJack transponder concealed in the equipment.
A short while later, detectives from the NYPD’s Auto Crime Division picked up the silent LoJack homing signal from the stolen Toyota Forklift on the Police Tracking Computers installed in their patrol vehicle. Following the directional and audible cues from the LoJack computers, the detectives tracked the Toyota through various streets in the confines of the 90th Precinct in Williamsburg Brooklyn. Eventually the signal led them to a construction storage yard that was secured by a 12 foot high concrete wall with two large steel doors. However, the LoJack signal was coming directly from behind these walls. The yard was apparently closed for the day, so the officers staked it out. The next morning when the owner arrived, the officers conducted an investigation, which resulted in the arrest of the owner of the construction company, as well as the recovery of the 2012 Toyota Forklift. The machine was recovered in excellent condition, with the exception of a few minor scratches. The owner was notified and arrived at the scene to recover the equipment.
The LoJack Vehicle Recovery System was installed in the 2012 Toyota Forklift on March 13, 2012, at Prolift Industrial Equipment in Indianapolis, Indiana.