West Covina Police Face Probe in Alleged Purchase of Towed Vehicles

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is investigating allegations that members of the West Covina Police Department inappropriately purchased vehicles from a local towing company that removes cars for the city.

The probe was launched at the request of West Covina police after allegations that officers may have acquired cars from the tow yard, West Covina police said.

Undersheriff Jerry Harper said the 2-week-old probe is centering on one individual, but he did not rule out that it could expand to include other officers. “It started out as an administrative investigation,” he said. “It could conceivably turn criminal. We don’t know yet.”

Harper said the sheriff’s Internal Affairs Bureau is handling the investigation.

West Covina Police Cmdr. Jim Dillon said he requested the review because he was concerned there may have been violations of regulations that prohibit officers from making purchases from a city contractor.

“It has the appearance of a conflict of interest,” said Dillon, who until recently served as acting chief.

City Atty. Betsy Martyn said West Covina police use three tow businesses. The person whose vehicle is towed is responsible for towing fees and any storage costs, she said. In some cases, vehicles can be held for a month or longer, racking up a bill that the motorist is unable to pay. The tow firm can then put a lien on the vehicle and sell it, Martyn said.

The investigation, dubbed “Towgate” by West Covina City Hall insiders, comes less than a week after Police Chief John Distelrath was dismissed after an investigation into misconduct allegations. The charges largely involved conflicts of interest, including hiring a business partner as a Police Department consultant. Distelrath has denied any wrongdoing.

During that probe, questions were raised about the department’s handling of an incident involving Mayor Ben Wong, who in 1996 flashed a city-issued badge and confiscated the driver’s license of a motorist with whom he had a minor traffic accident.

“We have been going through a lot lately, and this is just another issue we have to deal with in West Covina,” Councilman Mike Touhey said of the sheriff’s investigation. “I am just waiting for the next thing to drop.”