Arrested Thief Claims His "Friend's Brother's Friend" Lent him the Stolen Vehicle
- May 15, 2012
- recovery stories
On April 7, 2012, the owner of a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee reported his SUV stolen to the Greenville County Sheriff’s Department. This action triggered the LoJack transponder unit concealed inside the Jeep to start emitting a silent radio signal to LoJack-equipped police patrol vehicles in the area.
Minutes after the LoJack activation, an officer with the Easley Police Department began to detect the silent LoJack signal on his onboard LoJack Police Tracking Computer (PTC). Following the directional and signal strength cues on the PTC, the officer tracked the Jeep to an apartment complex in the city. While conducting a brief surveillance on the vehicle, the officer observed a suspect climbing into the Jeep. The officer quickly arrested the suspect without incident, and recovered the Jeep intact and undamaged.
The suspect explained to the officer that his “friend’s brother’s friend” had loaned him the Jeep. This information could not be verified, and the suspect was incarcerated. This remains and ongoing investigation.