LoJack® System Helps Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Recover Stolen Dodge Caravan
- April 14, 2016
- recovery stories
The owner of a 2000 Dodge Caravan contacted the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department San Dimas station to report that their vehicle was stolen from their business parking area. Further that two weeks prior, someone had attempted to steal the van however was unable to get it started. Deputies verified the theft and entered the vehicle information into the state and federal crime computers which automatically activated the LoJack® System concealed in the Dodge Caravan.
Within minutes the Los Angeles SD Air-8 flight deputies picked up the silent LoJack signal from the stolen Dodge Caravan 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 flight deputies tracked the Dodge to a storage complex in the 200 block of West Allen Ave, city of San Dimas. As Air-8 flew over the complex, they observed the stolen Dodge Caravan and two males. One of the males was pushing the van and another was observed entering an open storage unit. Auto Theft detectives and deputies arrived at the scene at which time the suspect who had been pushing the van fled on foot. Both this suspect and a second male were subsequently detained by the deputies. During the investigation, it was confirmed that this Dodge Caravan was in fact the stolen that had just been entered a short time prior. The subject who had entered the open storage area informed the detectives that his friend had brought the van and had asked to use his unit and wanted to swap the engine and parts into his other van. The investigation determined that the suspect who had been seen pushing the van had not only been seen driving it into the storage, but later admitted to attempting to take the van two weeks prior. This suspect was later charged with grand theft vehicle and attempted grand theft of a motor vehicle by the Deputy District Attorney.
The LoJack® System was installed in the Dodge Caravan in October 2000 at Casa de Gonzalez Dodge in South Gate, California.