Only in New York City does a tow truck driver get arrested for doing his job. Rule of thumb but if you miss payments on a vehicle it’s getting repossessed– no matter who you are!
Jose Rodriguez was dispatched by his company, Finest Towing, to pick up a Nissan sedan from a client who had failed to make payments. Unbeknown to Rodriguez, but the Nissan belonged to a New York City detective. Rodriguez hitched the vehicle to his truck only to find himself surrounded by cops. Rodriguez was then detained by police and arrested for “possession of a stolen vehicle” even though he had a legal repossession order on the Nissan.
What happened next was even more disturbing when police placed a boot on Rodriguez’s tow truck, entered his vehicle, then confiscated all recording equipment and dash cams inside.
Rodriguez’s tow truck with parking boot
The detective allegedly tried to pay Rodriguez for the three missed payments, but it is illegal for towing services to accept payments on repossessed vehicles; that job is for the bank. When Rodriguez didn’t comply he was taken into custody.
For simply trying to do his job, Rodriguez spent one day in jail and was charged with a felony. When Rodriguez showed up in court with his attorney the charges were then dropped to misdemeanors. The court claimed that Rodriguez was now being charged for not properly displaying his license plate. Rodriguez’s job, Finest Towing called the charges bogus.
For the full story, check out CBS New York’s coverage below:
