LASD Officers Locate Stolen Tahoe in Residential Garage, Minutes After Theft
- May 21, 2012
- recovery stories
On March 29, 2012, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department-Lancaster patrol deputies began to pick up a silent LoJack signal on their patrol car’s LoJack Police Tracking Computer. After querying the “Reply Code” appearing on the computer display with the police stolen vehicle database, the deputies were alerted that they were tracking a 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe 4×4 reported stolen hours minutes earlier to the LASD’s Lakewood Station.
Following the directional cues on the tracking computer, the deputies pinpointed the Tahoe’s location to a garage of a private residence. The deputies obtained a search warrant, and with the assistance of detectives from the auto theft task force, served the warrant and recovered the vehicle. The deputies found that the suspects had already begun to disassemble the vehicle; the engine, doors, and hatchback were already gone. The front end of the vehicle was cut off, and still at the location. Also found at the scene were numerous vehicle parts from a stolen Toyota Camry. Follow-up investigation revealed that this theft was an owner give-up. This case is still under investigation.