EVERETT – Police on Wednesday tracked down a stolen car in just about the time it took the thief to break in and drive off.
An Everett police officer picked up a silent signal from the stolen 2000 Honda Civic within three minutes of it being reported missing from a Lynnwood apartment complex.
The car was equipped with a LoJack anti-theft device – a James Bond-like homing system that can lead police to stolen vehicles from inside their patrol cars.
A transponder hidden in the car is activated once police report to state and national databases that it has been stolen. The LoJack device sends out radio signals that are picked up by receivers in police cars, leading officers to the stolen vehicle.
“It was not designed to be a deterrent, but when all other systems fail it is a way to get the vehicle back quickly,” LoJack Corp. spokesman Frank Zangar said Thursday.
The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office entered the vehicle into the databases about 5:55 p.m. Approximately three minutes later, an Everett officer picked up the Honda’s signal. The homing device led the officer to a garage at an apartment complex in the 6700 block of Cady Street. Police spotted a suspect leaving the garage a few minutes later.
Officers got a warrant to search the garage and found the Honda in the early stages of disassembly, Zangar said. Additional suspected stolen parts from other vehicles also were located.
This was the first stolen car recovery by Everett officers since the department was equipped with the system.
LoJack began selling the system in the Puget Sound area in April 2003. More and more cars are being outfitted with the anti-theft devices.
The Honda owner had the LoJack installed when he bought the car in October. The device costs about $695 and is available at most large car dealerships, Zangar said.
“We picked up a stolen car that could have been used to commit another crime,” Everett police Sgt. Boyd Bryant said.
“It could have saved a life. How can you put a money value on that?”
Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@heraldnet.com.
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