LoJack® System Helps Law Enforcement Recover a Stolen Premier Water Pump
- May 19, 2016
- recovery stories
The operator of a 2015 Premier water pump arrived at their jobsite in the morning and discovered their piece of construction equipment missing. They contacted the Miami-Dade Police Department to report their equipment stolen. The responding officer prepared a stolen equipment report, theft affidavit and had the equipment’s information entered into the state and federal crime information computers.
Later that afternoon, the Miami-Dade Police Department was advised that the piece of construction equipment might be in the Redlands. After warming up the aircraft, the helicopter lifted-off and headed west. Within a matter of minutes the pilot picked up the silent LoJack signal from the stolen water pump on their on-board LoJack Police Tracking Computer (PTC). The officer began tracking the stolen equipment by following the directional and audible cues on the PTC screen. The officer requested backup from any units in the area with a PTC. K-9 units from the Miami-Dade PD and Hialeah Police Department who were in the area doing training spoke up and responded to the area. They located the water pump on farm land near S.W. 180th Street and Krome Avenue. The officers contacted the district auto theft unit to respond. Upon arrival they continued the investigation. The detectives met with a subject on the property who authorized them to enter. The detectives surveyed the situation and located the water pump. After that they discovered a John Deere “Gator” that was also reported stolen. The subject now became the suspect and was arrested for Grand Theft Auto for the “Gator” and Grand Theft for the stolen water pump. The detectives checked the suspect through the N.C.I.C. system, where returned a response that they were wanted for an outstanding warrant. The additional charge was added to the arrest report. The suspect was then transported to the Dade County Jail. The construction equipment was recovered, towed to the police impound yard for safekeeping, and removed from state and federal crime information computer systems. It should be noted that this equipment was equipped with a GPS device, but couldn’t locate it because the pump was not in operation and not providing power to the unit. Apparently the reason the thieves stole the water pump was to replace the broken one on the property.
The LoJack® System was installed in the 2015 Premier water pump in September 2015 in Florida.