Tue. Dec 3rd, 2024

Santa Ana Tow Truck

The former and current owners of Santa Ana towing and security companies face several criminal charges related to an alleged illegal towing operation. At the center is Patrick Tocher, who owned the companies for years before selling them, moving to Hawaii and, according to prosecutors, remaining in contact with the current owners, according to the OC Weekly.

It essentially boils down to this, according to the complaint: Security Towing and Night and Day Security were owned by Tocher and run out of the same Santa Ana yard. He is alleged to have directed Night and Day Security employees to authorize towing by Security Towing trucks even though property owners had given no permission for the towing. Tocher is further accused of failing to register his companies with the state Employment Development Department, paying employees in cash and failing to provide workers with required pay stubs or tax documents.

A federal appeals court has handed a victory to Tocher in 2000, when he used a federal trade law to circumvent towing regulations in several Orange County cities, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Tocher, who owned Pacific Coast Motoring and California Coastal Towing, sued the cities and police departments of Santa Ana, Costa Mesa and Tustin in 1995, contending that deregulation laws passed by Congress usurped city ordinances. Critics complained that Tocher was using the federal rules to charge higher-than-average towing rates. Santa Ana police said his company towed as many as 20 cars a night from private parking lots across the city, leaving no indication for unsuspecting owners that their vehicles had been impounded. A federal appeals court has handed a victory to a Santa Ana tow truck owner who used a federal trade law to circumvent towing regulations in several Orange County cities.

Thank goodness the authorities did not give up going after Tocher and his associates.

author avatar
Art Pedroza Editor
Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

By Art Pedroza

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

One thought on “Aggressive Santa Ana tow truck operator and his pals facing criminal charges”
  1. When convicted, all f them should be incarcerated for a minimum of 10 years before considered for Parole.

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