Toyota Camry Stolen, Owner Beaten by Known Gang Member — Air Unit Locates Vehicle, Suspect Arrested
- April 21, 2012
- recovery stories
On March 16, 2012, the owner of a 1996 Toyota Camry was beaten up and had his vehicle stolen. Officers with the Gardena Police Department completed a stolen vehicle report and had the Toyota’s information entered into the state and federal crime computer databases. This routine police action automatically activated the LoJack transponder concealed in the Toyota. Neither the owners nor law enforcement had take any further action to activate the LoJack Stolen Vehicle Recovery Network, because LoJack’s interface with law enforcement is both seamless and instantaneous.
An hour and a half later, an air unit picked up the LoJack signal from the Camry. They tracked the signal to 226th Street and Wilmington Avenue, where they observed the vehicle parked with several men standing beside it. One of the men matched the description of the car-jacking suspect. The air unit alerted Carson Station ground units of the vehicle’s location. Once at the scene, the deputies detained all of the suspects. Their investigation revealed that the victim was beaten by a known gang member, who also stole the vehicle. None of the suspects detained were the named suspect; however one of the suspects admitted to driving the stolen vehicle, and knowing that it was stolen. The suspect was arrested Grand Theft Auto and the investigation was turned over to the Gardena Police Department.