LoJack® System Helps Glendora Police Department Recover Stolen Toyota Corolla
- August 16, 2016
- recovery stories
The owners of a 2005 Toyota Corolla contacted the Pomona Police Department to report that their vehicle was stolen. Apparently they left the keys to the Toyota in the door along with personal property, i.e. credit cards inside the vehicle. The Pomona PD officers verified the theft and entered the vehicle information into the state and federal crime computers which automatically activated the LoJack® System concealed in the Toyota Corolla.
A short while later an officer from the Glendora Police Department picked up the silent LoJack signal from the stolen Toyota 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 officer tracked the Toyota to the 1900 block of East Auto Center Dr in Glendora, California, and located the unoccupied vehicle. The location was a large discount retail outfit so the officer deployed a “Spike Strip” on the tire and surveilled for a short time. Two male adult suspects came out of the store, entered the Toyota and backed over the spike causing a tire to go flat. They then moved the Toyota into a different spot and walked away. Officers deployed taking the suspect into custody without further incident. During the field interview, the suspects admitted they had found the keys in the door and decided to take the Toyota and go on a spending spree with the victim’s credit cards. Both suspects were booked for the theft of the Toyota as well as use of stolen credit cards and possession of a controlled substance (cocaine). The Toyota was later released to the victim.
The LoJack® System was installed in the Toyota Corolla in April 2005 at Toyota of Santa Monica in California.