LoJack Corp. has revealed its top five construction equipment theft recoveries of 2012.
LoJack System Saves Contractor From Third Theft of Utility Trailer
After having two utility trailers (equipped with multiple locks and a wheel boot) stolen, an electrical contractor in Raleigh, N.C. protected his third utility trailer with a LoJack stolen vehicle recovery system. The contractor was the victim once again of theft, but after he reported the crime to police, they found the trailer within two hours of activation and arrested the criminal.
Equipment Installed with LoJack System Leads Police to Illegal Weapons Cache
Only three minutes after the owners of a John Deere skip loader reported it stolen, flight deputies with the San Bernardino, Calif. Sheriff’s Department picked up the silent LoJack signal and tracked down the location of the loader. Responding ground units arrived to the scene and verified the stolen skip loader. In addition, deputies found a large cache of weapons and called in the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Bomb Squad to take over the investigation. The recovery not only included the skip loader, it also netted illegal weapons, a large amount of ammunition, live hand grenades and body armor.
LoJack System Halts Stolen Skip Loader’s Trip Overseas
A stolen Caterpillar skip loader was about to take a long trip overseas when California Highway Patrol began tracking down the stolen skip loader within 20 minutes of the owners reporting it stolen. The signal from the LoJack System led the officers to a shipping warehouse in the city of Carson, Calif. There, thieves had removed the company names from the skip loader and planned to ship it out of the U.S., along with multiple other pieces of stolen construction equipment. All were recovered and returned back to their owners.
Skid Steer and Other Stolens Found by Las Vegas PD
The owner of a Ingersoll-Rand skid steer contacted the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department to report that his equipment had been stolen from a jobsite in northwest Las Vegas. A few minutes later, officers with the North Las Vegas Police Department picked up the LoJack System’s signal coming from the stolen equipment. The officer’s tracked the stolen skid steer to a large warehouse in North Las Vegas. Police quickly located the stolen property inside, along with an air compressor that had been reported stolen from a jobsite in downtown Las Vegas. The suspect is facing multiple felony charges as the investigation continues with police still identifying more victims.
Finds Mini-Excavator Hidden in the Woods
A New Britain, Conn. paving company returned to a jobsite and found its John Deere Mini-excavator missing. The owner didn’t realize his equipment had a LoJack device when he reported the theft to local police. K-9 officers from three different towns who were training in the area received the silent LoJack signal coming from the stolen excavator. Using a handheld LoJack Police Tracking Unit, officers discovered the excavator deep in a wooded area. The investigation revealed that the thieves had entered the area through a gate in the highway sound barrier. While the barrier and surrounding trees prevented the excavator from being observed from any direction, the LoJack signal still worked.
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