Unregistered Dodge Charger Stolen from Driveway in Queens — Thief Attempted to Change Locks & Ignition
- March 14, 2012
- recovery stories
The owner of a 2008 Dodge Charger had fallen on some difficult financial times; after receiving several summons, which he was unable to pay, the registration on his vehicle was suspended. Until he was able to raise the money to pay the summons, he was storing the Dodge in the driveway behind his house in the Sunnyside section of Queens. Apparently, someone had been watching the vehicle, unmoving from strorage, and decided to steal it.
When the owner discovered the theft on the evening of February 28, 2012, he immediately contacted the New York Police Department’s 108th Precinct to report the crime. When the police arrived, they took a written report, and had this information entered into the state and federal crime computer databases. This routine police action automatically activated the LoJack transponder concealed inside the stolen Dodge. Neither the owner nor law enforcement had to take any further action to activate the LoJack Stolen Vehicle Recovery Network, as the LoJack interface with the police network is seamless and instantaneous.
A short while later, detectives with the NYPD’s Auto Crime Division picked up the silent LoJack signal from the stolen Dodge on the LoJack Police Tracking Computer installed in their patrol units. Following the computer’s cues, the detectives tracked and located the vehicle in the driveway of a locksmith in the Maspeth section of Queens. The detectives questioned the owner of the shop, who claimed that a young man drove the Dodge to his shop, and asked him to change all the locks and ignition. The man told the locksmith that he had recently purchased the Dodge and only had one key, so he wished to have all of the locks changed. The locksmith entered the man’s information, as well as information about the Dodge, in his log book, all of which he shared with the detectives.
The detectives contacted the Dodge’s owner, who told them at no time did he give anyone permission to possess his vehicle. The vehicle, which had no damage on it, was taken into custody, with the investigation continuing, and an arrest imminent. The owner was elated that his vehicle was recovered so quickly, especially without any damage. Luckily, his car was equipped with LoJack; despite the fact that his vehicle was not registered and had no plates, it didn’t stop the LoJack from doing its job.