LoJack® System Helps Huntington Beach Police Department Recover Stolen Audi A4
- June 18, 2015
- recovery stories
This Audi A4 was impounded by the California Highway Patrol for non-auto theft reasons and stored at a tow yard in Huntington Beach. A subject went to the tow yard to retrieve another recovered stolen vehicle. The vehicle would not start and the subject had a tow truck driver pull the vehicle out from a back storage lot. After pulling the vehicle out the tow truck driver drove away, leaving the back lot gate open. Through video surveillance the same subject the driver assisted was seen running into the back storage lot and driving away with the Audi A4. The theft was not discovered and reported until a later date. The subject was identified through identity he provided to the tow yard when attempting to retrieve his own stolen/recovered vehicle.
The Huntington Beach Police Department verified the theft and entered the vehicle information into the state and federal crime computers which automatically activated the LoJack® System concealed in the Audi.
Only 13 minutes later officers from the Huntington Beach PD picked up the silent LoJack signal from the stolen Audi 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 officers tracked the Audi to an alley in Huntington Beach. The driver door was open and several subjects were nearby going through trash cans. The officer approached those subjects and inquired about the stolen Audi. As he was talking to those subjects another subject approached and stated the Audi belonged to him. As the officer was questioning the subject he admitted to stealing the Audi three days prior. The HBPD identified the subject as the same subject in the tow yard video surveillance taking the Audi. The Audi was recovered and towed again.
The LoJack® System was installed in the Audi A4 in June 2007 by AutoNation Ford in Torrance, CA.