LoJack® System Helps Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Recover Stolen Toyota Corolla
- October 16, 2014
- recovery stories
The owner of a 2010 Toyota Corolla contacted the Huntington Park Police Department to report his vehicle stolen. The victim was at work at a public library and noticed his car keys were missing from his work area. Huntington Park PD verified the theft and entered the vehicle information into the state and federal crime computers, which automatically activated the LoJack® System concealed in the Toyota Corolla.
Only 17 minutes later an Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department airship picked up the silent LoJack® homing signals from the stolen Toyota with the LoJack® Police Tracking Computers (PTC) that are installed in patrol vehicles and aircraft. Following the directional and audible cues from the PTC, the airship tracked the vehicle to the area of Nadeau and Lou Dillon streets, which is an unincorporated area of Los Angeles. The airship notified patrol vehicles and directed them into the area. A patrol deputy located the vehicle stopped at a gas station at the corner of Alameda and Nadeau Street. The deputy saw four subjects in the vehicle and requested additional patrol deputies. As the deputies approached the vehicle all four subjects got out and began walking away. The deputies were able to detain all four subjects. The subject seen in the driver’s seat claimed he did not drive the vehicle to the location. Deputies reviewed the gas station video surveillance and saw that one of the other subjects drove the vehicle to the gas station. That subject was questioned and admitted to taking the vehicle. The victim responded to the location and saw the detained subjects. The victim told the deputies that he recognized two of the subjects from the library and they had distracted him by asking a number of questions. He believes one of the subjects took the keys to his vehicle. Deputies arrested two of the subjects and returned the undamaged vehicle to the victim.