A bridge repair site at I-440 and Ridge Road in Raleigh, NC was victimized during the long Memorial Day weekend. During the contractor's holiday absence, person(s) unknown came to the very highly visible roadside equipment staging area and hauled the mini excavator away. Returning to the jobsite, the contractor discovered the missing equipment and reported the crime to the Raleigh Police Department (RPD). The week prior to this theft a concrete saw had been taken from the same site.
Having reported the Takeuchi stolen to RPD, the vehicle information was entered into the NCIC police computer. This routine police action automatically activated the LoJack transponder concealed in the excavator. Neither the owner nor law enforcement had to do anything else to activate the LoJack Stolen Vehicle Recovery Network because of the LoJack interface with law enforcement is both seamless and instantaneous.
On the following Wednesday, the Kenly Police Department was requested to assist Princeton Police Department in the containment and search for a suspect. A Kenly PD officer was dispatched. While traveling to Princeton, in an area along the Johnston County and Wayne County line and not familiar to the Kenly officer, the patrol vehicle's LoJack Police Tracking Computer (PTC) received the LoJack signal of the Takeuchi. The Wayne County Sheriff Office (WCSO) was notified of the theft and they dispatched their aviation unit, which was also equipped with the LoJack PTC. Following the directional and audible signal of LoJack, the aviation officers were taken to a farm operation.
As a result of the three departments' joint efforts, Johnston County Sheriff Office served a search warrant on the farm property owner. The search resulted in the Takeuchi excavator and eleven other pieces of construction and farm equipment being recovered for a value in excess of $150,000. An investigation continues in an effort to ID other property and all suspects involved in this theft ring operating in the Raleigh area. Warrants charging those involved are pending.
