Unmarked California Tow Truck Allegedly Stole 12 Cars
Imagine this: You wake up on January 1 and decide to drive to the coffee shop. Your car is nowhere to be found. When you check your Ring camera footage, you see an unmarked tow truck hooking up to your vehicle and hauling it away in the middle of the night. Some New Year’s surprise.
Brandon Hurtado of San Bernardino, California, says this is exactly what happened to him. He shared the footage with local news outlets. It shows a white tow truck, with no logos or phone numbers, towing away his late-model Toyota Tacoma parked on White Ash Road.
But that was only the beginning. Hurtado says he has since learned of at least a dozen similar thefts in the area.
He doubts he will see his vehicle again. “For my truck, I do wish I get it back, but I honestly think it’s a possibility that it’s either shipped out or it’s scratched for parts.”
That doesn’t mean Hurtado is giving up. “But for the people out there, you know, I hope they keep close attention to their cars more, because, you know, what I’ve been through. I don’t want them to go through that.”
Tow trucks increasingly used in vehicle thefts
We’ve previously reported on tow trucks stealing vehicles in Kansas City and Denver. Thieves use them to avoid suspicion and authorities.
One precaution experts recommend is hiding a purpose-built GPS tracker in your vehicle. Apple AirTags are not designed for this purpose and can alert thieves to their presence. You can see the footage embedded below:
