More than 140 vehicles impounded after bandit towing bust in Van Nuys

By Ashley Mackey

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    VAN NUYS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Tow truck operators accused of illegally towing vehicles and then demanding drivers pay inflated fees to get them back, have been busted. Police announced the recovery of more than 140 vehicles in Van Nuys.

The operation was a joint effort with the Los Angeles Police Department, the California Highway Patrol, and other agencies. Officials say they received numerous tips before conducting a search warrant last week.

Law enforcement officers gathered at the LAPD station in Van Nuys to inform the community of what they call predatory business practices — specifically, bandit towing. It’s not a new practice, but it is an unethical one.

Investigators say tow trucks will drive around looking for people involved in minor traffic collisions. In one case, someone claiming to be a witness approaches the victim, offering to provide evidence and exchange contact information. The victim gets a text message saying their insurance authorized a tow company. The victim then signs a tow agreement under false pretenses, and later on, when they respond to the tow location, the business provides them with an inflated invoice with numerous illegal fees.

Police say one victim was asked to pay up to $15,000 to retrieve their car.

“Some tow truck companies and auto repair shops, that involve the towing of a victim’s vehicle without authorization,” said Marla Ciuffitelli, Deputy Chief of the Operations Valley Bureau. “The victims then forced to pay extensive fees to get their vehicle out of the shop.”

Police say they received numerous complaints of predatory towing by businesses operating as Legend Auto and or Legend Enterprise in Van Nuys. Eyewitness News found a few of those complaints in Google reviews.

“The Van Nuys auto detectives became aware of citizen complaints of criminal activity in relation of predatory tow practices, theft by false pretenses, and grand theft auto occurring at Legends Auto, otherwise known as Legends Inc. It has a few different names,” said Lt. Laurel Friedlander with LAPD.

Police say after an extensive investigation, officers conducted a search warrant at two different locations that are under control of Legend Auto. The result was the impound of 145 vehicles. Police say the vehicles are being returned to their owners.

‘We also had a victim who actually refused tow at the scene, drove her own vehicle to her home, contacted her insurance company, and was given a tow company that was going to respond and tow her vehicle. She received a text later that saying that, ‘Hey we are going to come tow your car to Legends.’ She actually refuses that text and says, ‘No, I’ve already got that arranged.’ Wakes up the next morning and that vehicle was gone,” Friedlander said. “She responds to Legends and figures out they actually said, ‘Yeah, we have your vehicle.’ And they refused to release it until they had full payment. That was a straight grand theft auto.”

Eyewitness News reached out to Legend Enterprise, and a manager said they feel victimized in this as well, and they need to do a better job at vetting tow trucks.

“We want to educate, and we’re educating by letting people know that they have a right to ensure that they are provided with the tow coverage that they are desiring,” said Lt. Joe Dominguez with CHP. “Unless a police officer is at the scene and requests the tow truck for you, you can claim which tow operator can tow your vehicle from the scene.”

Police say if you have not called for a tow truck but one tries to take your vehicle, it’s likely you are being scammed. You should verify tow truck legitimacy with your insurance or the police and avoid signing any documents without fully understanding them.

The investigation into the bandit towing operation is ongoing.

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