LoJack Helps Recover Stolen Case Backhoe
- November 16, 2012
- jaleman
On November 13th, the owner of a 2005 Case Backhoe returned to his work site in Farmington to discover that the backhoe had been stolen. The owner reported the theft to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) who completed a theft report. The backhoe’s information was entered into the California Stolen Vehicle System as well as the national system, NCIC. This routine police action automatically activated the LoJack transponder concealed in the backhoe. Neither the owner nor law enforcement had to do anything else to activate the LoJack Stolen Vehicle Recovery Transponder because of LoJack’ s interface with law enforcement is both seamless and instantaneous.
Less than 24 hours later, members of the vehicle theft task force Delta Ratt, who had been alerted to the theft were actively searching for the stolen backhoe when they began to receive the silent signal from the hidden LoJack transponder in the backhoe. Investigators tracked the signal using their onboard LoJack Police Tracking Computers (PTC) and with the assistance of the California Highway Patrol Air Unit Air-21, who also has a PTC in their onboard, tracked the signal to Escalon-Bellontra Rd.
The air unit was able to see the backhoe hidden between a large travel trailer and a chicken barn to the rear of the property. Investigators made contact with the resident who then walked them to the rear of the property where they recovered the backhoe. The resident provided investigators information on who dropped off the backhoe two nights before. Investigators are seeking a warrant for the suspect. The owner was contacted to come pick up his backhoe.