Nassau County Officers Use LoJack to Recover Ford Windstar “Stolen” by Mentally Challenged Son
- February 9, 2013
- recovery stories
On January 23, 2013, the owner of a Ford Windstar contacted the New York Police Department’s 109th Precinct in Flushing, Queens, to report the vehicle stolen. According to the owner, his son, who is mentally challenged, took his wife’s purse, containing her credit cards and keys to the van. The son, who does not have the mental capacity to drive, drove away with the vehicle. The parents, fearing for the safety of their son and/or innocent people, reported the vehicle stolen.
109th Precinct officers verified the theft and had the vehicle information entered into the state and federal crime computers, which automatically activated the LoJack transponder concealed in the van.
A short while later, the police of the Nassau County Police Department’s 3rd Precinct picked up the silent signal emitting from the vehicle on the LoJack Tracking Computer installed in their patrol vehicle. Following the audible cues coming from the LoJack computer, the officers tracked the signal to the Southern State Parkway; there they found the vehicle parked on the grassy shoulder. The unoccupied vehicle was found in excellent condition. The owner/parents were contacted, and although their son was not located, they were grateful that their vehicle was recovered without injury to their son or an innocent person. A search is still being conducted for the son, who is now considered a missing person.
The vehicle was recovered in excellent condition, without any damage. The owner/parents were ever so grateful to LoJack, feeling that if it wasn’t for the LoJack the vehicle would have never been found so soon. Saying that it was well worth the money they spent for the LoJack when they purchased the vehicle.
The LoJack Vehicle Recovery System was installed in the 1999 Ford on August 17, 1999 at DiBlasi Ford NY.