Glendale Police Give the Hook to Towing Firm

Prosecutors are expected to begin reviewing fraud and theft allegations today against a “large-scale” towing operation that motorists accuse of hauling away their cars just minutes after they parked and then charging them $106 to get the vehicles back, authorities said.

Glendale police investigators are seeking numerous felony charges against Star Towing, which is located in Commerce and works throughout Los Angeles County.

Investigators said Star towed cars from a lot at a Glendale pool hall minutes after people parked and walked to nearby businesses. It is illegal to tow a car from a private lot--regardless of signs that say “Customer Parking Only”--if the vehicle has been there less than an hour, authorities said.

When car owners returned to find their cars hooked to tow trucks, the drivers demanded they pay $106 in cash or the car would be towed to their impound yard in Commerce, police said.

“There’s an implied muscling there, almost extortion,” said Glendale Police Lt. Don Meredith, who led the investigation.

According to police, Star offered to illegally pay back $10 of each towing charge to the owner of the 50’s Q billiard hall on South Glendale Avenue, who was irritated that customers of neighboring stores were using his lot.

“The owner had no idea this was illegal,” said Meredith. “He was just trying to take care of his parking problem.”

Vincent Oliver, an attorney for Star owner David Haim Abergel, vehemently denied the allegations. The pool hall owner could not be reached for comment.

The towing company allegedly broke another law by towing the cars more than six miles instead of to the nearest impound yard, Meredith said. Victims, who figured the towing was legitimate because they were parked in violation of the posted signs, paid $161 to get their cars in Commerce, he said.

On May 14, when undercover officers parked their van in the lot, it was towed in less than three minutes, Meredith said. Four of Star’s employees and the company owner were subsequently arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit theft by trick or device and conspiracy to unlawfully take a vehicle.

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Abergel was taken into custody during a search of the firm’s Commerce office, where he was at his desk with a loaded 9-millimeter handgun and $21,000 in cash, Meredith said. A sixth employee was arrested on suspicion of possession of crack cocaine, he said.

Two trucks, the $21,000 in cash and $11,000 in checks were seized, authorities said.

Oliver said the charges against his client were “laughable” and that the drivers acted legally and at the request of the pool hall owner.

“It’s an outrage,” said Oliver. “It’s an action that will put this man out of business . . . if they don’t give him back his [tow trucks].”

He said his client’s company is a small operation, but law enforcement officials said it is a major towing firm in the county with business ties to several other companies.

According to Glendale police and the Los Angeles Police Department, Star is a “bandit tow”--a company that uses a variety of lucrative scams to prey on a public that is unaware of its rights.

Carson said Star tows from private lots in the city of Los Angeles and then charges illegal fees--like a fee to open the yard’s gate after hours--when the owners go to Commerce to pick up their cars.

He added that Star used to be located in Los Angeles, but moved to Commerce when the LAPD rejected its application for a permit.

The investigation by the Glendale Police Department began May 14, when the owner of a business next to 50’s Q complained that two of his customers had already been towed that day, Meredith said.

A police surveillance team subsequently watched a Star employee escort two motorists across the street to an automated teller machine. Upon receiving the cash, the suspects released the cars, authorities said.

Then an undercover agent parked his van in the lot, saw it hooked up to a tow truck within three minutes and was told that the fee was $106 to get it unhooked or $161 to have it released in Commerce, said Meredith. According to laws in Glendale and Los Angeles, the mandated tow rate is $77. Tow truck drivers can only charge half of that to unhook a car while it is still in the parking lot.

Meredith said Star drivers were paid a 30% commission per tow.

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Two drivers were arrested at the parking lot, as was a spotter who tipped them off and a Star salesman who authorities said initially struck the deal with the pool hall owner. They were booked at Glendale City Jail on $20,000 bail and later released.

Meredith said such alleged scams are relatively common, but added: “The majority of tows are very reputable companies out there. Unfortunately these bandit tows give the industry a bad name.”