LoJack® System in Stolen 2016 Lexus RX350 Assists Washington State Patrol with Recovery and Arrests
- May 17, 2019
- Law Enforcement
A Renton, Washington area couple returned home from
vacation only to find their home burglarized and their 2016 Lexus RX350 stolen from
inside the garage. Pry marks were found
on an exterior door that was forced open to gain entry. The crime was immediately reported to the Renton
Police Department. After verifying the
theft, the vehicle was entered stolen into the state and federal crime
computers. This automatically activated
the LoJack® System concealed in the Lexus.
Within minutes of the stolen vehicle activation, a trooper with Washington State
Patrol received a LoJack® hit on his Police Tracking Computer (PTC), which are
installed in patrol vehicles and aircraft. Utilizing the audible and visual
signals of the LoJack® PTC, the trooper was able to navigate to a residential
area in the 2500 block of 74th Avenue South, Kent, Washington. The trooper observed the stolen Lexus in the
parking lot of an apartment complex. Two
males occupied the vehicle. He continued
to observe from a distance while back up officers arrived. The two males left the vehicle and entered
the apartment complex. After verifying
the vehicle identification number of the stolen Lexus, the trooper obtained
video from the apartment manager. The
trooper and other officers made contact with the suspects outside the apartment
complex. The two suspects were arrested
and booked into the King County Jail for possession of a stolen vehicle and
drug charges. During the execution of a
signed search warrant for the Lexus, a stolen firearm was also recovered.
The time elapsed from stolen vehicle activation to recovery was two hours and twelve minutes.
The LoJack system was installed in the Lexus RX350 in September 2016 at Lexus of Bellevue in Bellevue, Washington.