LoJack® System Helps New York Police Department Recover a Stolen BMW X3

  • August 14, 2015

The owner of a 2006 BMW X3 reported to the New York Police Department 106 precinct her vehicle was stolen from the parking lot where she had it stored.  The owner of the BMW was going on vacation to Hawaii, so she left her car stored at a parking lot. Apparently someone got access to her Key Fob and took her BMW from the lot. They then parked the BMW in the parking lot of a major department store. After several hours of the BMW not moving, the manager called a private towing company to tow the vehicle. The suspect then appeared at the towing facility demanding the BMW back. The towing facility would not release the BMW without payment and proper papers for the vehicle. A short while later the suspect returned, climbed the fence, and then drove the BMW through the chain link fence causing minor damage to the vehicle.

The NYPD 106 precinct verified the theft and entered the vehicle information into the state and Federal crime computers, which automatically activated the LoJack® System concealed on the BMW.

A short while later Officers from the Queens North Auto Larceny Unit, NYPD, picked up the silent signal from the LoJack® System installed on the BMW on their LoJack Police Tracking Computers installed in their patrol vehicles. They followed the directional and audible cues from the LoJack PTC in the confines of the 109pct, Flushing Queens, NY.  Tracking the signal, it led them to a residential street where they found the BMW parked on the street. They staked the BMW out for several hours, however when no one showed up for the vehicle they took it into custody.

The BMW was recovered with minor damage to the hood, apparently from being driven through the chain link fence. The owner, who was still on vacation in Hawaii, was notified of the recovery.  She was elated that her BMW was recovered even though it sustained minor damage during the theft. She further stated that she was happy that she had the LoJack device installed on her BMW when she bought the vehicle, saying it was well worth the investment.

The LoJack® System was installed in the 2006 BMW X3 in July 2008 by Rallye Motors in Westbury, New York.