License plate reader technology helps HPD recover stolen vehicle
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The Huntsville Police Department (HPD) used automated license plate reader (ALPR) technology to pinpoint the location of a stolen vehicle within 11 minutes of the initial call, leading to a brief pursuit and arrest early Sunday, Oct. 25.
On Oct. 25 around 1:44 a.m., officers responded to the 900 block of University Drive after a victim reported their 2019 Volvo XC90 stolen. The victim told officers they had briefly left the vehicle running while entering a service station. Witnesses saw the vehicle heading west on University Drive before turning onto Pulaski Pike.
Officers issued a be-on-the-lookout (BOLO) and entered the vehicle’s tag information into HPD’s ALPR system. While officers received conflicting reports about the vehicle’s possible direction of travel, the ALPR system provided a confirmed, recent scan near Bob Wallace and Patton Road, quickly narrowing the search area.
Around 1:55 a.m., officers spotted the Volvo on Hillsboro Road and attempted a traffic stop. The driver refused to stop, prompting a short pursuit that ended near Bob Wallace Avenue and I‑565.
The driver, identified as Maritza Cantillano Mejia, 20, of Huntsville, was taken into custody without further incident. Officers also determined Mejia matched the description of the individual who stole the vehicle.
Mejia was booked into the Madison County Jail on the following charges:
- First-degree theft of property (motor vehicle)
- Felony attempting to elude a police officer
HPD’s use of ALPR technology allowed officers to focus their response on a precise location rather than search along multiple possible routes, significantly reducing recovery time and aiding in the safe resolution of the incident.