Thief of Nissan Armada Evades Police, Found Hiding by K-9 Unit and Arrested
- May 4, 2012
On April 4, 2012, the owner of a 2010 Nissan Armada discovered that his vehicle was missing from the front of his residence, where he had parked it. The owner immediately notified the Gardena Department of the theft.
Gardena officers completed a stolen vehicle report and had the Nissan’s information entered into the state and federal crime computers – a routine police action that automatically activated the LoJack transponder concealed within the vehicle.
Minutes later, an officer with the Hawthorne Police Department picked up the Nissan’s LoJack signal on his patrol vehicle’s LoJack Police Tracking Computer. The officer notified the Garden Police Department when he entered the city limits, and the Gardena officers assumed the tracking of the Nissan. When the requested back-up units were in place, the Gardena officers attempted a high-risk traffic stop on the Nissan, but the suspect quickly sped away. The suspect abruptly stopped his vehicle and fled on foot. The officers established a perimeter around the area, and after a thorough search, a K-9 unit eventually found the suspect hiding in an old vehicle in a backyard. The suspect was taken into custody and was arrested for Grand Theft Auto.
Investigation revealed that the victim had left her car keys with her boyfriend, and the keys and vehicle were stolen during a burglary in his home. The Gardena Police detectives are conducting the follow-up investigation.
Note: Portions of this story were obtained from Hawthorne Police Department