We all know how scummy tow companies can be. From forging a drivers signature to targeting low income people, anytime we think they can’t go any lower they do. Now we have more proof of how terrible many tow companies are by way of Reddit.
A Reddit user posted a video to r/sanfransisco showing a tow truck driver attempting to hook up and tow a vehicle in traffic. This isn’t some vehicle that was left abandoned by its owner, no, this is a vehicle being driven by someone sitting in traffic at an intersection waiting on a light to change. The original poster and recorder of the video described the situation in the comments:
They were driving in normal traffic, first in line at the stop light when the tow truck came up a cross street into the intersection and tried to snag them. At first I thought they were going for the Waymo but they lined up on a car at a stoplight in the lane and started trying to auto load it in traffic with two people inside.
Luckily the driver of the Toyota managed to get away from the tow truck by backing up and driving around the truck once the light turned green. This is a problem for a few reasons, the most obvious is the danger to the car’s occupants as well as everyone else in traffic. It’s a busy day in San Francisco! Anything could have happened during this odd cat-and-mouse game.
The language of California Penal Code § 207 might consider the tow driver’s actions as a form of kidnapping. There’s also California Penal Code § 215 which covers carjacking:
The felonious taking of a motor vehicle in the possession of another, from his or her person or immediate presence, or from the person or immediate presence of a passenger of the motor vehicle, against his or her will and with the intent to either permanently or temporarily deprive the person in possession of the motor vehicle of his or her possession, accomplished by means of force or fear.
The towing company the truck is associated with, Speciality Towing, also doesn’t look like it’s much of a reputable business. In February, San Francisco city attorney David Chiu suspended six local towing companies from doing business with the city. Of those six, three — including Specialty Towing — were owned by two individuals, Abigail Fuentes and Jose Badillo. It turns out the pair were up to no good. They were involved in a welfare scheme and lied about their income to receive public assistance according to a statement from Chiu’s office.
In October 2023, the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office charged Fuentes and Badillo with multiple felonies stemming from an alleged welfare fraud scheme. For a period of time, Fuentes worked as a Human Services Agency Senior Eligibility Worker, where she approved applications for public welfare programs. Allegedly, Fuentes improperly approved Badillo’s application without disclosing that she had a personal relationship with Badillo.
Further, both Fuentes and Badillo allegedly lied about their substantial income and assets in order to receive public benefits they were not eligible for. Fuentes and Badillo both received benefits under Medi-Cal, and Fuentes received additional benefits from CalFresh and CalWORKs.
How they’re attempting to operate in the city, illegally attempting to tow vehicles a little over a month after the city decided not to do business with them, is just one of the many mysteries recorded in this video.