The California Department of Insurance (CDI) announced on February 18, 2025, that an insurance fraud ring allegedly targeted car accident victims. In this scheme, vehicles were towed and held at repair shops in exchange for significant cash payments.
Southern California Investigation
A probe into auto insurance fraud across Southern California has led to the arrests of 16 individuals involved in a scheme that preyed on car accident victims in the Inland Empire. The CDI is now cautioning drivers about tow truck companies that hold vehicles hostage for monetary gain.
The investigation began in November 2022 after a California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer, assisting a victim of a “bandit tow” in locating their vehicle, contacted the Inland Empire Automobile Insurance Task Force. According to a CDI statement, investigators discovered that Rosa Isela Santistevan, 56, of Irvine, a non-sworn CHP employee, allegedly sold traffic collision reports.
Santistevan is accused of selling these reports to Andre Angelo Reyes, 37, of Corona, who then allegedly passed the reports, containing accident victims’ personal information, to Esmeralda Parga, 27, of Pomona. Authorities seized over 3,500 CHP traffic collision report pages from Parga’s residence.
Suspects Impersonating Insurance Companies
Officials allege that Parga would impersonate insurance companies and contact the individuals involved in the collision, coordinating to have their vehicles towed to a repair center she claimed was approved by the insurance company.
Tow truck drivers from JR Tow in Los Angeles and B&M Tow in La Verne, allegedly participated in the scheme, picking up vehicles in Riverside County and towing them to Certified Auto in Buena Park, owned by Anthony Gomez, 36, of Jurupa Valley. It is unclear if the tow trucks were from legitimate businesses or if the drivers were operating independently.
Once the vehicles arrived, Certified Auto demanded cash payment from the insurance companies to release them. The American Automobile Association (AAA) shared multiple auto claims in which a group of companies were transporting vehicles they insured to body shops and keeping the vehicles until a large sum of money was paid in cash. Search warrants revealed evidence that the ring allegedly committed other types of insurance fraud, including collusive collisions.
The ring was also accused in 2024 of similar schemes in San Bernardino County involving two California Collision locations in Ontario and Montclair.
The task force determined that the ring illegally collected over $216,932. The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office has charged Reyes and Diana Villa Pineda, 34, of Corona, with tax evasion totaling $136,408.
Warning Signs for Drivers
To help drivers avoid becoming victims of this scam, the California Department of Insurance has issued the following warning signs:
- A tow truck showing up within minutes of a car accident, even before a company is called.
- The tow truck driver tells you which body shop the car will be taken to rather than asking your preference.
- The tow truck driver tells you that someone will contact you by phone or asks you to sign documents.
- The tow truck driver requests a rideshare for you.
Drivers who suspect they may be in a similar situation are advised to verify the tow truck with their insurance company or wait for the CHP to confirm that the tow truck was dispatched by the CHP.
