OIdsmobile Stolen in Arizona Tracked and Recovered in California by Police Using LoJack
- February 15, 2012
- recovery stories
On January 24, 2012, the owners of a 2003 Oldsmobile Olero contacted the Phoenix Police Department to report their vehicle stolen.
Phoenix Police completed a stolen vehicle report and had information about the vehicle and its theft entered into the state and federal crime computers. tolen to law enforcement, the vehicle information was entered into the statewide stolen vehicle system (SVS/NCIC) computer. This routine police action automatically activated the LoJack transponder concealed in the Oldsmobile and initiated the tracking of the vehicle.
Five minutes after activation by Phoenix, AZ Police, Officers from the San Bernardino, California Police Department as well as San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputies and Investigators from San Bernardino County Auto Theft Taskforce (SANCATT) picked up the silent homing signal from the stolen Oldsmobile. SBCSD Helicopter 40-KING also acquired the signal and responded toward the area on the east end of the City of San Bernardino and the unincorporated county area of Highland. The Flight Deputies quickly isolated the signal to the area of Golden and Lynwood in the City of San Bernardino. Responding SBPD units and an Investigator from SANCATT set up a perimeter on the unoccupied stolen vehicle. The SANCATT investigator observed two adult male suspects enter the stolen vehicle and drive off. With the assistance of SBPD uniformed units, officers conducted a high-risk vehicle stop and both suspects were detained without incident. The driver, who was also in possession of the vehicle key, was arrested for Auto Theft and Possession of Stolen Property. The passenger was questioned and later released, and the undamaged vehicle towed and stored.
The LoJack Vehicle Recovery System was installed in the Oldsmobile Olero at Saturn of Tempe, Arizona on January 4, 2004.