OnStar remotely stops stolen SUV, man arrested
Police dogs called in to find man hiding underneath a trailer
A 19-year-old man suddenly found himself stopping mid-getaway, police say, after OnStar remotely shut down the SUV he allegedly stole near Gage Park on Sunday.
Police say they were called about a stolen vehicle in the area of Dunsmure Road and Leinster Avenue South just after 10:30 p.m.
A woman told officers she was inside a home for a few minutes, and when she came back out, she found her 2017 Buick Enclave was missing — with her purse and other personal belongings inside.
She told the officers she had the keys on her, but the SUV was equipped with a push start ignition. It also had an onboard OnStar monitoring service.
Police said in a news release that OnStar contacted them, and said they had located the SUV and could remotely stop it.
According to OnStar, once someone who has the service has filed a police report and once police confirm the conditions are right, the company can send a signal to disable the stolen vehicle's engine and gradually slow it to an idle speed.
"With police officers in position, OnStar brought the vehicle to a stop in the area of Fifty Road and South Service Road [in] Stoney Creek," the news release reads.
The driver then bolted out of the SUV and ran into a nearby industrial compound, police say. Police dogs were called in, and the man was eventually found hiding underneath a trailer.
A 19-year-old Hamilton man was arrested and charged with theft over $5,000, possession of stolen property over $5,000, and four counts of failing to comply with his probation.