Jose Vicente Badillo and his wife, Abigail Fuentes, are at the center of a growing controversy involving alleged fraudulent towing practices and welfare fraud. The couple faces up to 20 years in prison as they are charged with plotting to set fire to competitors’ tow trucks, fraudulently claiming over $150,000 in welfare benefits, and illegally towing vehicles across San Francisco and surrounding cities.
Badillo and Fuentes’s tactics reportedly included placing fake ‘no parking’ signs in private lots and towing every vehicle they found there. Many of the areas targeted were populated by Spanish and Cantonese speakers, which raised concerns about predatory practices. In one incident captured on video, they allegedly attempted to tow a car in downtown San Francisco that had a driver still inside, highlighting the predatory nature of their operations.
Despite facing federal charges on multiple counts, residents at the Bayview Apartments claim that Badillo and Fuentes have continued their towing activities almost every night. Reports from tenants indicate that a tow truck arrives around 2 a.m. without any lights on, waiting to tow cars parked in their complex.
Dante, a resident of the subsidized housing complex known as ‘The Hill’, described the situation as unsettling. “They creep up, pulling up with no lights on. They just sit there, waiting for cars to tow.”
In previous months, the trucks operated under the name ‘Auto Towing’, but recently they have been seen under the unmarked vehicles now branded as ‘City Towing’. The city attorney’s office confirmed that Badillo and Fuentes do not hold a valid towing permit in San Francisco.
In February 2024, City Attorney David Chiu signed an order debaring the couple and their three previous companies from contracting with the city. However, complaints from residents suggest that City Towing may be a front for Badillo and Fuentes’s ongoing operations. Jen Kwart, a spokesperson for the city attorney’s office, expressed concerns about the possible affiliation of City Towing with the former companies.
The registered owner of City Towing is listed as David Antonio Holmes, who, when contacted, denied any connection to Badillo and Fuentes and claimed no knowledge of the city attorney’s investigation.
However, residents strongly disagree. They claim that the employees of ‘City Towing’ bear a strong resemblance to those who previously worked for ‘Auto Towing’.
Jerry L. Steering, a civil rights lawyer based in California, noted that unethical towing companies often exploit vulnerable neighborhoods through a practice known as ‘patrol towing’. This involves surveilling an area until late at night when residents are asleep, leading to mass towing of vehicles.
Steering explained that such predatory practices can leave residents with no money to recover their cars. If a resident cannot pay the towing fees, the company can profit by selling the towed vehicle either at an auction or privately. He remarked that a subsidized housing complex is akin to “fishing in a fish hatchery” for these tow truck companies.
Residents confirmed that parking at Bayview Apartments is limited to one permit per household. Families with additional vehicles or overnight guests often have no choice but to park in the lot, making them easy targets for towing companies. One tenant, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation, shared her experience of having her car towed in February. City Towing demanded nearly $500 in cash for her to recover her vehicle, a sum she could not afford. She hasn’t seen her car since then.
The city attorney’s office, in its debarment statement issued in February 2024, noted that Auto Towing was notorious for illegally towing cars of vulnerable individuals from private commercial lots. It also stated that the company limited the times for vehicle retrieval and pressured vehicle owners to pay cash, a troubling trend in the operations of both Alpha Towing and City Towing.
For a tow company to legally operate on private property, it must obtain consent from the property owner. In the case of Bayview Apartments, this means obtaining permission from Related California, the property manager, or Resolute Security, the contracted security firm.
Residents reported that a security guard at the complex had previously authorized towings, but the city attorney’s office emphasized that after contacting Related California, the management agreed to cease any collaboration with City Towing.
Nevertheless, eviction complaints continue, as residents claim the trucks have not stopped their operations. Reports from tenants indicate security guards may also be aiding in these illegal tows, allegedly pushing residents to pay drivers immediately in cash to prevent their vehicles from being towed. Steering called this practice “plain extortion” and highlighted that it is illegal to collect money for vehicle release before it has left private property.
A video obtained by Mission Local, recorded on June 4, 2025, shows security guards positioned between several tenants and a City Towing truck as it releases a vehicle back to the ground. Witnesses reported that prior to this incident, two individuals had each paid $200 in cash to retrieve their cars while still on private property.
Related California and Resolute Security have yet to respond to requests for comments regarding these troubling allegations.
Numerous residents have shared stories of waking up to find their cars missing. One tenant recounted that her son’s vehicle had been towed twice, costing them $500 and then $700 to retrieve it.
During a visit to Bayview Apartments on August 28, signs still instructed residents to report any illegally parked vehicles to ‘Auto Towing’, raising further concerns about the ongoing operations.
Semetha Hill, another resident, recounted several frustrating instances of her car being towed under both the ‘Auto Towing’ and ‘City Towing’ brands. In one encounter, a security guard interrupted her sleep to inform her that her car had just been towed. After contacting the tow company, she learned that they couldn’t locate her vehicle. When she finally found it, she discovered one of her hubcaps was damaged.
Having lived in the apartment complex for 15 years, Hill emphasized that she had a valid parking permit, even as the tow truck company claimed it had expired. Frustrated, she remarked of the situation, “It’s ridiculous. It happens every day.”
image source from：missionlocal
