High-Risk Traffic Stop Leads to 2 Arrests and Recovery of Toyota Corolla Stolen in Torrance, CA
- January 18, 2012
- recovery stories
On January 6, 2012, the owner of a 2002 Toyota Corolla contacted the Torrance Police Department to report the vehicle stolen.
Torrance Police responded to the scene, prepared a stolen vehicle report and had the stolen Toyota’s information entered into the state and federal crime computers. This routine police action automatically activated the LoJack transponder concealed in the Toyota and initiated the tracking of the vehicle.
Six minutes later, Hawthorne PD Air-55 picked up the LoJack signal from the stolen Corolla on the LoJack Police Tracking Computer installed in their aircraft. Air -55 directed LASD Lomita Station ground units to the vehicle, which was moving in traffic at 235th Street and Carson Avenue. A sergeant observed the vehicle pulling into a fast food place and requested back-up units for the stop. When the units arrived, they conducted a high-risk traffic stop, taking the male driver and a female passenger into custody. The male suspect claimed that he got the vehicle from an unknown friend. The suspects were arrested for Driving without Owners Consent. Lomita Detectives are conducting the follow-up investigation.