LoJack Helps Irving Police Recover Toyota 4-Runner “Stolen” by Owner’s Boyfriend with Infant Inside
- October 23, 2012
- recovery stories
On September 30, 2012, the boyfriend of the owner of a 2006 Toyota 4-Runner contacted the Irving Police Department to report this vehicle stolen. He stated that he had parked the vehicle in a store parking lot and had left his eighteen month old baby inside with the keys in the ignition and the engine running. When he came back out of the store, this vehicle and the baby were missing.
Irving Police verified the theft of this vehicle and entered the Toyota’s information into the state and federal crime computers, which automatically activated the LoJack transponder concealed in the vehicle.
Minutes later, officers from the Irving Police Department picked up the silent LoJack homing signals from the stolen Toyota on the Police Tracking Computers installed in their patrol vehicles. Following the directional and audible cues from the LoJack computers, the officers tracked the vehicle to an apartment complex near the store parking lot where it was stolen from. The Toyota was located, parked, with the engine running. The 18-month old child was found inside the Toyota, unharmed.
Further investigation revealed that the boyfriend had been arguing with the vehicle owner – his girlfriend and the baby’s mother – all morning. He left their house with the baby with the intent of scaring his girlfriend. He parked the Toyota at the apartment complex and left the baby inside. He then walked over to the store and reported the Toyota stolen. He did not know the Toyota was equipped with a LoJack transponder. Because the vehicle was equipped with LoJack, the eighteen month old baby was found quickly and in good health. The Irving Police Department is looking into filing charges against boyfriend.
The LoJack Vehicle Recovery System was installed in the 2006 Toyota 4-Runner in May of 2006 at Toyota of Irving.