LoJack® System Helps Orange County Sheriff’s Office Recover Stolen John Deere Gator
- October 17, 2014
- recovery stories
The owners of a recreation center discovered that a 2012 John Deere Gator that they had rented from a large rental company was missing. They had left it in the parking lot behind the center on the previous evening. They contacted the Orange County SO to report that their vehicle was stolen.
The Orange County SO verified the theft and entered the vehicle information into the state and federal crime computers which automatically activated the LoJack® System concealed in the John Deere.
A short while later an off-duty officer from Orlando PD, on his way home from work, picked up the silent LoJack® homing signals from the stolen Deere with the LoJack® Police Tracking Computers (PTC) that are installed in patrol vehicles and aircraft. He was at Plymouth-Sorrento Rd and Kelly Park Rd in Apopka. He immediately contacted the Orange County SO and awaited their arrival. He was joined by a K-9 unit, the Auto Theft Unit and the Aviation Unit from Orange County SO. Following the directional and audible cues from the PTC, the officer and deputies tracked the vehicle to a 10-acre property on Plymouth –Sorrento Road and Ondich Rd. After receiving permission of the owner of the property to enter and search, the Gator was located inside a large storage shed behind the owners house. There were no other vehicles in the shed. The only person at the property at the time was the elderly woman owner who stated she had just returned from a two day trip that evening. The investigation continues at this time.
The only damage to the Gator was a broken ignition switch and the rental company stickers were all removed. The rental company was contacted and they sent a tow truck and took possession of the Gator.
The LoJack® System was installed in the John Deere Gator in September 2014.