Henshaw was working on a car with a number of problems when the LoJack detection system began beeping.

What he first ignored as a common noise was actually the device picking up the signal of a stolen vehicle in the area. Vehicles armed with the LoJack system begin broadcasting a signal when they are reported stolen. Sunnyvale has three cars equipped to track the signal. They typically use all three to triangulate a position.

"I had never seen LoJack in action, so I decided to check it out," Henshaw said.

The LoJack tracker has a digital readout that gives a direction and signal strength. He began driving in the direction the tracker was indicating, and the signal strength increased.

"I really just wanted to see how close it would get me," Henshaw said.

Along the way, he called the Department of Public Safety to report what he was doing, and they sent officers to his location.

They found a construction truck that had been stolen several hours earlier and returned to the owner undamaged.

"I was just concerned that the patrol car would break down before we found the truck," Henshaw said. "The overheating problem that brought the car into the shop in the first place was pretty severe, and it was getting pretty hot while we tracked down the signal."

In addition, Henshaw said he was also about to remove the LoJack tracker to install in another car at a later date.

The Department of Public Safety gave Henshaw a certificate of recognition for his actions.