Riverside, California Sheriff’s Department and RAID Auto Theft Task Force Recover Stolen Honda Civic in Nine Minutes and Uncover Chop Shop, Assisted by the LoJack® System
- November 4, 2013
- recovery stories
The LoJack® system installed in this stolen Honda Civic not only helped law enforcement recover the protected car in less than 10 minutes, but also helped to reveal a ‘chop shop’ containing other stolen vehicles and parts, instigating an investigation resulting in five arrests.
On October 2nd, 2013, the Civic’s owner contacted the Riverside, CA Police Department to report their vehicle stolen. Officers verified the theft and they entered the vehicle information into the state and federal crime computers. This procedure automatically activated the LoJack unit concealed in the Civic, which was installed at Hardin Honda in Anaheim, CA.
A short while later, Riverside Sheriff’s Department Flight Deputies picked up the homing signal from the stolen car on the LoJack tracking computer installed in their helicopter. The deputies tracked the Honda to Moreno Valley. Investigators assigned to the county auto theft taskforce (RAID) and RSD ground deputies located the Civic being driven on Iris Avenue. The officers stopped the car and arrested two suspects. Meanwhile, the flight crew saw a third suspect leave on foot; he was captured a short distance away. The property all three had departed had a barn on site that was being used as a ‘chop shop’. Two other stolen vehicles and various parts were found inside, and two additional suspects were detained. The Civic was soon returned to its much relieved owner.
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