LoJack System Helps Venture Police Department Recover Stolen Volkswagen Passat
- December 27, 2017
- recovery stories
Officers from the Ventura Police Department responded to a suspicious Acura vehicle abandoned in the street. As they were investigating the incident, a resident approached and informed them his 2001 Volkswagen Passat had just been stolen. While the officers were taking that report, another call came out from the harbor area of a burglary that just occurred with the suspect vehicle being the stolen VW. 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 VW.
Minutes later as officers were responding to the burglary, they picked up the silent LoJack signal from the stolen VW Passat 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 officers tracked the Passat to the Harbor area and noted that the signal was coming from across the Harbor. Officers were directed to that area and spotted the Passat being driven on Spinnaker Rd. Officers caught the Passat and affected a “high risk” traffic stop taking the suspect into custody.
During the field investigation the officers located stolen property taken from the burglary inside the stolen VW. According to the handling officer, they are hopeful that they can tie the suspect to the recovered Acura that had been abandoned initially. The suspect was arrested and booked for vehicle theft, burglary and other charges. Case submitted to detectives for follow up.
The LoJack® System was installed in the Volkswagen Passat in September 2001 at Volkswagen of Santa Monica in California.