Los Altos Police nabbed a pair of juvenile car thieves in broad daylight thanks to high-tech help—their automatic license plate reader, known as flock hit. The incident unfolded at the busy intersection of El Camino Real and San Antonio Rd., where cops clamped down on the young carjacking duo, who had no choice but to give up the stolen ride, a local law enforcement agency reported.
The eagle-eyed digital watchdog first spotted the stolen vehicle cruising around El Monte Rd and Summerhill thirty minutes before the decisive encounter, according to the City of Los Altos Police Department's Facebook page. The police swung into action, blocking the car as it backed into a Jack in the Box parking spot, arresting a 15-year-old boy behind the wheel and his female accomplice of the same tender age.
A police officer confirmed the vehicle was hot and listed as stolen in the SVS, and the teenagers were swiftly detained. The boy from San Jose got slapped with a citation for unlawfully taking or driving a vehicle, while his comrade was busted for possession of stolen property. Nevertheless, both were returned to their folks rather than tossed into the slammer. The jacked auto was returned to its rightful owner, the police stated.
The Los Altos cops touted the bust as a win for community safety and an endorsement for their "responsible and ethical use" of surveillance tech.
