The California Department of Insurance (CDI) announced on February 18, 2025, that an insurance fraud ring had been targeting car accident victims.
The alleged scheme involved towing vehicles and holding them at repair shops in exchange for large cash payments. This announcement followed the arrests of 16 people involved in the alleged scheme, which primarily targeted victims in the Inland Empire.
The investigation began in November 2022 after a California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer contacted the Inland Empire Automobile Insurance Task Force. The officer was assisting a victim of a “bandit tow” in locating their vehicle.
Investigators discovered that Rosa Isela Santistevan, 56, of Irvine, a non-sworn employee of the CHP, allegedly sold traffic collision reports. These reports were sold to Andre Angelo Reyes, 37, of Corona, who is believed to be the ringleader.
According to the CDI, Reyes then passed the reports, which contained personal information about accident victims, to Esmeralda Parga, 27, of Pomona. Authorities seized more than 3,500 CHP traffic collision report face pages from Parga’s residence.
Officials allege that Parga would impersonate insurance companies and contact the individuals involved in the collisions. She allegedly coordinated the towing of vehicles to repair centers that she claimed had been approved by the insurance companies.
Tow truck drivers from JR Tow in Los Angeles and B&M Tow in La Verne, who allegedly participated in the scheme, would pick up vehicles in Riverside County, According to the CDI, and tow them to Certified Auto in Buena Park, owned by Anthony Gomez, 36, of Jurupa Valley.
Once the vehicles arrived at Certified Auto, the repair shop demanded cash payments from the insurance companies to release them. The American Automobile Association reported multiple auto claims where the same group of companies transported insured vehicles to specific body shops, holding them until large cash payments were made.
Search warrants revealed evidence of other types of insurance fraud committed by the ring, including collusive collisions. The ring was 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 also charged Reyes and Diana Villa Pineda, 34, of Corona, with tax evasion totaling $136,408.
To avoid being a victim of this scam, the California Department of Insurance has urged drivers to be aware of these warning signs:
- A tow truck arriving within minutes of an accident, even before a company is called.
- The tow truck driver telling you which body shop the car will be taken to instead of asking you where you want the vehicle to go.
- The tow truck driver telling you that someone will contact you by phone or asking you to sign documents.
- The tow truck driver requesting a rideshare for you.
Drivers who believe they may be in a similar situation should verify the tow truck with their insurance company or wait for the CHP to verify that the tow truck was dispatched by them.
