Pomona Woman Arrested After Tracking Device Leads to Stolen Car

March 5, 2007

A Pomona, Calif., woman has been arrested after authorities followed a signal from an electronic tracking device installed in a car she reported stolen, officials said.

Elva Padilla surrendered to authorities after learning about the arrest warrant against her, prosecutors said.

Padilla hid her then new Ford Focus at her brother’s house in Victorville in Nov. 2005 and reported it stolen to police and her insurance company, prosecutors said.

The 53-year-old apparently regretted buying the car and was desperate to get rid of it, San Bernardino County fraud investigator Ed Nyberg said.

A San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputy located the signal from the car’s LoJack tracking device and traced the compact within a day. Padilla’s insurance company filed charges against her in January after a year-long investigation.

The woman’s brother was unaware of the alleged scheme, authorities said.

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