LoJack® System Helps Chicago Police Department Recover Stolen Chevrolet Blazer
- March 17, 2016
- recovery stories
The owner of a 2006 Chevrolet Blazer contacted the Chicago Police Department to report that his vehicle was stolen from the garage behind his furniture business on the 6500 block of South Ashland Ave in Chicago’s West Englewood neighborhood. The victim told responding officers that he had bought the Blazer to be re-built, it had been in-operable, without a battery and the last time he saw it had been over four months earlier. The Chicago PD verified the theft and entered the vehicle into NCIC the national crime database which automatically sends a signal to activate the LoJack unit hidden within the stolen Blazer.
Officers with the Chicago PD Aviation Division as well as officers from the 003rd District picked up the silent signal from the stolen Blazer on their LoJack Police Tracking Computer (PTC) which is installed in patrol vehicles and aircraft. Following the directional and audible cues from the PTC, the officers tracked the Blazer to the 7300 block of South St Lawrence Ave where it was recovered in a garage. Police investigation into the theft on scene revealed the Blazer had been purchased nearly a year earlier along with vehicle’s title which the victim had left in the Blazer’s glove box.
The new owner had been slowly rebuilding the Blazer and today he had a put in a battery. The new owner was heard saying “I put in the battery and 20 minutes later I had a helicopter over me and two squad cars in my alley.”
The original owner was summoned to the scene and was able to recover his Blazer. The Blazer’s true owner was very grateful to get his vehicle back and admitted he never thought he would see it again. Due to information recovered from the duped buyer of the stolen Blazer, a known auto thief was identified as the offender. Police investigation into this Blazer continues.
The LoJack® System was installed in the Chevrolet Blazer in April 2007 at Rallye Motors in Roslyn, New York.