There’s good reason to keep abreast with the latest features on modern cars, such as we bring you here on these very pages. That applies equally well whether your interest is personal or professional, and that’s what some St. Louis car thieves found out earlier this week.

If not well informed, the gang was ambitious as they broke into the premises of Bommarito Chevrolet and found the keys and took off with four new Camaros. The four Camaros, traveling together on the nearby Interstate aroused the suspicions of a passer-by, who reported it to the police.

Police and dealer personnel, working in concert with the OnStar people, were able to locate the four vehicles. In one case, the OnStar Stolen Vehicle Slowdown feature was used to disable a Camaro that was still being driven.

All the cars were later recovered by St. Louis County Police and one person is in custody, with charges pending. Others are being sought in connection with the thefts. The cars are back on the dealer’s lot and ready for sale.

Beginning with the 2009 models, half of all General Motors vehicles were equipped with an OnStar emergency satellite communication system with Stolen Vehicle Slowdown, a system that can “depower” a stolen car being chased by police. The same OnStar system tracks stolen vehicles using GPS to pinpoint their location.

Once a stolen vehicle is located and confirmed, OnStar can also deactivate the ignition system, to prevent the car from being started again. The Vehicle Slowdown system can eliminate high-speed police chases by cutting fuel to the engine while continuing to offer steering and braking.