LoJack System Helps the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (NC) Recover Stolen Volvo XC70 and Arrest Wanted Fugitive
- March 12, 2019
- Law Enforcement
A deputy with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville, SC, was dispatched to check on a suspicious vehicle that was parked in a residential area with an individual sleeping inside. When the deputy arrived to the scene, he observed a 2008 Volvo XC70 parked near the club house. The deputy checked the tag and the Volvo did not come back in the system as a stolen vehicle. As the Deputy approached the Volvo, the individual sleeping inside the vehicle placed the car in drive and drove off at a high rate of speed striking the Deputy’s Patrol Car. The Deputy attempted to pursue the Volvo but lost sight in a rural area of the northern end of Greenville County. The Deputy then began to investigate the ownership of the Volvo to determine who the driver could be. Through the investigation, it was determined that the Volvo was last known to be at a repair shop and had been stolen. The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office verified the theft and entered the vehicle information into the state and federal crime computers which automatically activated the LoJack® System concealed in the Volvo.
After the vehicle was entered into the National Crime Computer Database, a unit in Spartanburg County picked up the silent LoJack signal from the stolen Volvo 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 Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office Deputies were led to a residence in a rural area of northern Spartanburg County that borders Greenville County. Spartanburg County Deputies along with Greenville County Deputies moved in to take the individual into custody, however, upon seeing law enforcement, the individual operating the Volvo drove away at a high rate of speed narrowly striking several Deputies and colliding with three patrol cars. The Deputies gave pursuit as the suspect sped towards the South Carolina-North Carolina State line. The suspect crossed over into Polk County, North Carolina and the pursuit was terminated. After the Volvo crossed into North Carolina, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office was notified of the pursuit and that the suspect was now wanted for the Attempted Murder of three law enforcement officers. Once inside Polk County, NC, a unit picked up the silent LoJack signal from the stolen Volvo with the LoJack Police Tracking Computers (PTC) that is installed in patrol vehicles and aircraft. Following the directional and audible cues from the PTC, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Deputies were led to the parking lot of a nature preserve outside of Columbus, NC. The Volvo was placed under surveillance until the take down team could be assembled. As the take down team approached the Volvo, the Deputies pinned the vehicle in blocking any escape routes. The suspect was taken into custody without any further incident. He was charged with being a Fugitive from Justice and held in the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Jail awaiting extradition back to South Carolina where he will be charged with Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, Malicious Injury to Property and Three Counts of Attempted Murder on Law Enforcement