Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Recovers Ford Explorer Stolen from Dealership in Two and a Half Hours Assisted by the LoJack® System
- September 16, 2013
- recovery stories
The sales staff at this California Ford dealership was being very conscientious by calling the owner of a newly purchased 2013 Ford Explorer to thank and congratulate him. Imagine their shock when the person at the other end of the line said he had NEVER purchased this car and apparently was the victim of identity theft. That’s how the dealership learned they had been involved in a fraudulent transaction. It was good luck on the dealer’s part that there was already a LoJack® system installed in the SUV, so local law enforcement were able to recover the vehicle in just two and a half hours after activation.
On August 28th, 2013, the dealership called the Alhambra Police to report the crime. Officers verified the theft and entered the vehicle information into the state and federal crime computers, which automatically activated the LoJack unit concealed in the Explorer.
In just over an hour, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Air-24 flight deputies picked up the homing signal from the Ford on the LoJack tracking computer installed in their airship. The flight crew alerted ground units that the SUV was parked in a residential driveway in Rosemead. A male at the residence told police the owners lived in the rear house on the property. A female at the rear residence told police her brother owned the Ford and called him to the door. The brother matched the description of the thief given by the dealership and was taken into custody. The undamaged Explorer, with an estimated value of $35,975, was soon returned to the relieved dealership.
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