ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — An Orange County woman had her minivan stolen out of her driveway while she slept, and Eatonville police believe a tow truck driver is responsible.
Channel 9's Jeff Deal learned how alert employees uncovered the crime and kept the van from being crushed.
Paula Lawson said she watched as a tow truck driver loaded her neighbor's minivan out of the driveway and on to his flatbed.
"He backed the tow truck up and loaded the van up," said neighbor Paul Lawson.
Eatonville police said Christian Ramos was driving for Jackass Towing, and they believe he's the one who loaded up the van.
According to police, Ramos drove to the home and met a man who didn't even have a key or a title for the van. The man allegedly paid cash to have the van towed, so Ramos took it to Trademark Metal Recycling, authorities said.
But before the van could be crushed, employees at the recycling business checked and found out it had been reported stolen.
"That vehicle would have been crushed for sure, and we wouldn't have been able to recover it," said Detective Roy Smith of the Eatonville Police Department.
Police then got a warrant and arrested Ramos on grand theft charges.
Records show his boss at Jackass Towing was Ariel Garcia, who told Channel 9 he didn't know anything about Ramos or the stolen van.
"I don't know nothing about it," Garcia said, denying he knows Ramos.
But police believe Ramos knew the van didn't belong to the seller and used his job at Jackass Towing as a cover to try to get away with grand theft.
"They need to be brought to justice. They need to require more to be able to tow a person's van," said Lawson.
Police said they've also arrested the man who allegedly paid Ramos to take the van.
The recycling company told Channel 9 it is required by law to check to see if vehicles are stolen and that it does find stolen cars from time to time.
WFTV
