Concertgoers left a heavy metal show to find a different kind of hit: their cars gone and a $562 bill waiting.
Story Snapshot
- Multiple drivers reported the same tow-then-pay pattern tied to a temporary sign and phone number.
- One driver said his car came back too damaged to drive; his insurer treated it like a theft claim.
- Receipts allegedly lacked key details like vehicle identification number and tow times.
- Police received a report; the tow company owner claimed the business was legitimate.
A repeat script: vanish, call, pay, and doubt
Drivers who parked near the Aftershock festival said the same thing happened. Their cars vanished. A temporary sign listed a number. The call sent them to Del Paso Boulevard. Each paid $562 to get the vehicle back. The pattern matters because repeat steps signal a system, not a fluke. CBS News Sacramento named one driver, Ryan Capagli, and described several others who echoed the same script and the same price point for release.
Capagli also said the car he recovered was so damaged it could not be driven. His insurer opened a stolen-vehicle claim, not a routine tow claim. That framing, by itself, does not prove a crime. It does show the scale of harm and confusion a tow can create when the paper trail looks thin. When people pay hundreds in cash or card to an unverified operator, they expect clean documents and a chain of custody they can trust.
The paperwork problem that sets off alarms
Capagli described preprinted invoices that lacked basic facts. He said the paperwork did not list the vehicle identification number, the tow time, or the release time. He also questioned an affidavit that he believed was forged. That allegation remains an allegation. No court or police finding confirms it. But missing identifiers and missing timestamps cut against common sense. Tow and storage law rests on precise records. Gaps there invite complaints and chargebacks.
A Sacramento Police Department report exists, according to the coverage. That creates an official track for evidence and interviews. It does not establish guilt. It does raise the stakes for anyone who handled authorizations or payments. If the operator claims a lawful tow, then the operator should have a signed property authorization and an itemized, lawful fee calculation on file. If those records are clean, they will surface. If not, that absence speaks loudly.
Who authorized what, and what does the law allow?
California law lets a property owner or lawful agent authorize a tow from private property when rules are met. The law also caps what a towing company can charge on private-property tows. Rates cannot exceed the local law enforcement approved rates or the California Highway Patrol approved rate for that company. Another statute limits certain charges tied to release conditions and short-distance drops. The key questions are simple: who signed, why was the car towed, and how did the operator price $562?
Event context muddies the water. The festival’s guidance states that it does not manage surrounding paid lots, that parking is at your own risk, and that overnight parking is banned with towing possible. That warning protects the organizer and tells drivers the lots are separate. It does not grant blanket tow power to anyone with a truck. A private tow still needs a lawful authorization and a fee within limits. If any step fails, the charge can cross the line into an unlawful demand.
Legitimacy claims meet the burden of proof
The person listed as the towing company owner told reporters the company was legitimate, then declined to share a license number or do a full interview. That stance invites skepticism. A lawful operator should show license details, a business name that matches state and local records, and an address that leads to a real yard. The CBS report said public records checks showed mixed results on registrations tied to the name used in the paperwork, which deepens the doubt for consumers.
Conservative instincts say the rules should be clear, posted, and enforced the same for everyone. Property owners have rights. So do drivers. The clean path is simple: clear signs, proper authorization on each tow, and charges that match the approved schedule. If drivers pay $562 after a vague sign and a phone shuttle to an off-site yard, with thin paperwork, the facts lean toward the drivers’ account. The police report and fee records will tell the rest.
Sources:
nypost.com, cityofsacramento.gov, sacbee.com, law.lis.virginia.gov
