Mechanic’s Body Found After Fire at His Shop

Firefighters found a popular auto mechanic dead Tuesday night after a fire in his North Hills transmission shop. The blaze apparently was set to cover up the man’s murder, Los Angeles police said.

Detective Tom Broad said William J. Tugend, 63, had been struck on the head.

Investigators had not yet established a motive, but Broad said robbery seemed unlikely because Tugend’s customers tended to pay by check or credit card rather than cash.

Tugend of Newhall owned and operated Steve’s Transmission at least 20 years, according to Broad and neighboring business owners. His garage at 9012 Sepulveda Blvd. was among 10 in a U-shaped complex known as the Sepulveda Auto Center.

George Metz, owner of a neighboring car-phone business, said Tugend was well-liked and enjoyed a loyal clientele who babied their cars.

“You would really see incredible cars coming in here, just beautifully preserved cars from the ‘50s and ‘60s,” Metz said.

Metz said the cars were not necessarily classics but older models “obviously lovingly taken care of by their owners” who trusted Tugend.

Metz said his business, Muntz Electronics, had been burglarized three times in the last year, but he described the incidents as “smash and grab.”

“That’s why this is so upsetting,” Metz said of Tugend’s death. “Because it is so different than the usual.”

Another neighboring businessman, Kevin Kim, said he closes his All Stop Body Shop at 6 p.m. to avoid being victimized by crime.

“I like to go home early. I’m just scared,” Kim said.

Steve’s Transmission was usually open till 8 p.m., and Tugend was apparently attacked after closing time, Broad and Metz said. A Fire Department spokesman said the fire was reported about 8:55 p.m.

City firefighters found Tugend’s body untouched by the flames, which caused an estimated $60,000 in property damage.