LAPD Officers Catch Thief Taking Family for a Ride in Stolen Ford Explorer
- May 25, 2012
- recovery stories
On April 10, 2012, UCLA Police Department officers began to pick up a silent LoJack homing signal on the LoJack Police Tracking Computer (PTC) installed in their vehicle. After querying the “Reply Code” appearing on the PTC’s display, the officers were informed that the signal was emanating from a 2002 Ford Explorer reported stolen five minutes earlier to the LAPD’s Southwest Division.
The officers requested that the LAPD’s Air-10 helicopter assist with the recovery; the flight officers directed the ground units to the vehicle at Pico Boulevard and Overland Avenue. There, they observed the Ford being driven by a female, with one male and one female passenger. The unit conducted a high-risk traffic stop, taking all suspects into custody. The subsequent investigation revealed that the male passenger was the driver’s son and the female passenger was her son’s girlfriend. The driver admitted to getting the vehicle from a friend and that she knew it was stolen. The female driver was arrested for Driving without Owner’s Consent, and the two passengers were questioned and released. UCLA Detectives are conducting the follow-up investigation.