LoJack® System Helps Texas Department of Public Safety Air Crew Recover Stolen Kubota Mini Excavator
- November 16, 2015
- recovery stories
The owners of a 2013 Kubota mini excavator contacted the League City Police Department to report that their vehicle was stolen from a construction site sometime during the previous night.
The League City 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 Kubota mini excavator.
Later the Texas Department of Public Safety air ship unit 100 picked up the silent LoJack signal from the stolen Kubota mini excavator with the LoJack Police Tracking Computers (PTC) that is installed in patrol vehicles and aircraft. Following the directional and audible cues from the PTC, the air crew followed the signal to a large ranch located near the town of Smiley, Texas. The air crew called for ground support and two Texas DPS officers arrived and after obtaining consent to search began to identify the stolen excavator. While investigating the excavator officers also identified the following as stolen.
Officers identified two suspects in this case; one is a past president of a local outlaw motorcycle gang.
Investigation is continuing with more arrests possible.
The LoJack® System was installed in the 2013 Kubota mini excavator in December 2014 at Commercial Sales.