Cyrus Tow Defrauds Crash Victim, Ransoms Victim's Car and Demands $1,700 in Cash, or Else They Take Elder Arambula’s Car, And Threaten a $30,000 Bill.

"Dee Dee" of Cyrus Tow.

On September 26, 204, around 7:40 PM, a car rear ended Arambula, causing his car to spin out and hit the guardrail. About 20 minutes after the crash, a tow truck driver spotted the broken red Prius. The tow truck driver rubber necked his head out the window, grinning. Cyrus Towing came before the police did and without asking Arambula, hooked up the Prius’s bumper to his tow truck. He told Arambula, “Toyota’s SOS button went off. They’re sending emergency service. Everything is free.”

In about 20 minutes, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) came. Officer Eric Voss ordered the driver of Cyrus Tow to take both the Prius and the Chevy Trax off the freeway and to the local side street.

The tow truck driver asked Cook where they needed to go. The driver ordered the Uber. It was all free according to Cyrus Tow. The Uber driver came and was rushing Arambula and Cook to finish their statement with the police. The police wouldn’t permit Arambula to take pictures of the crashed Chevy.

The tow truck driver said, “Hey – your car’s been totaled. It’s worth nothing. But don’t worry. Toyota will take care of everything. Toyota and All State’s emergency service called us. The service, tow, and impound will be free. Everything is going to be free. And you’re going to get another car. Just sign here and give me the keys.”  Arambula signed and gave him the keys.

Both Arambula and Cook had long distance AAA service and could’ve towed the car to either of their places. Little did they know the car would be towed about 40 miles away from the crash location in Stanton California.

Cook and Arambula started feeling that something or everything was wrong. They confirmed that Toyota nor All State ever called Cyrus Tow. Cook called Cyrus Tow, and talked to the business manager, who identified herself as “Dee Dee”. Dee Dee said, “We’re closing shop now. Don’t worry about it. Insurance will take care of everything. And if not, we’ll work with you on the bill on Monday. You don’t need to worry about it. We’re here to help.”

Little did Cook and Arambula know that three or four days later on Monday, when they would try to get the car out, the bill would be $1,700 that had to be paid in cash. (The Vehicle Code requires tow companies to accept credit card payment.)

Cyrus Tow charged $625 for the tow, $295 for the tow hook up fee, $150 for a forklift fee, $250 for an after hour fee, and $150 for a “hazmat/clean up” fee.

When Arambula told them that this was wrong, Dee Dee stated, “You only have three options! Leave the car here, while you file a claim with your insurance! Leave the car here, while you file a claim with the other guy’s insurance! Or you can make all this go away, if you sign the title away to me!”

Cook was on the phone and said, “He’s not going to sign the title to you.”

Dee Dee stated, “Your friend signed the contract. He gave me the keys. We don’t have to release this car to him ever.”

“That’s not a valid contract. You made him sign that under the pretension that Toyota called him and it was free. Also, it’s under duress.”

“You don’t know anything! You’re fucking up your friend’s life. You do whatever you want. I’m a private business. We don’t need to follow the [tow] laws. You can’t do anything about it! I have your keys. I have your car. We work with the police. We work with the CHP. Either sign the title or pay us the $1,700 in cash.

“Also, if your car is in here for 30 days, I automatically get the car. And I can still bill your friend $30,000.”

Arambula started breaking down in tears. Arambula, depressed and shocked, left the tow yard and called Cook and said, “I started college again. I’m trying to get back off my feet. And now this. They’re going to take all the financial aid money I just got.” Arambula is 23, Hispanic, community college student, professional boxer, and boxing coach and personal fitness instructor.

Cook calmed Arambula down and said, “Let me try to take care of it.” 

Although CHP Gives the Impression Cyrus Towing was an Authorized Police Tow, Altadena CHP Refuses to Lift a Finger to Help – Calling it a Civil Matter.

Cook then called the Altadena, CHP, instead, and talked to the watch commander, Sergeant Axl and requested that he help get Arambula’s car back given the facts. Cook explained that Voss had made it seem like Cyrus Tow was an official police authorized tow, when he ordered them to take both cars off the freeway. 

Eric Voss

Axl said, “Oh – there is this fraud going on. But this sounds like a civil thing.”

Axl called back 15 minutes later and said, “This is a civil matter and not criminal fraud. There’s nothing we could do because he signed the contract.”

Cook explained that Arambula signed only because they told them Toyota called, and it would be free. Also Arambula signed right after the accident, when he was in shock. 

Cook then wanted to talk to Axl’s boss. Axl replied, “I’m the highest up you can go. You can’t talk to the lieutenant here. This is a civil matter. Take it to court.”

Cook immediately emailed the facts to CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee, who said he would have someone investigate it. (This has been followed through.)

Angel looked up the company and saw a number of negative Yelp reviews that stated that Cyrus Tow finds crashed cars; tells the victims that Tesla or Toyota called them through its SOS program; and then charges $6,000 in towing fees, when they try to get it out.”

Cook, Arambula, and Angel Conduct a Probe and Discover that Cyrus Tow Preys on Car Crash Victims and Commits Potential Insurance Fraud.

First, Arambula asked Dee Dee to lower the price, because he only had $1,300 and didn’t have enough money. Dee Dee says, “$1,700 is probably the lowest I can do [for three days of tow].” Dee Dee calls the owner, Amir M. Eftekhari, who was enjoying himself at a wedding. 

Eftekhari said, “No.”

Arambula then had to borrow $500 from Angel.

After paying Dee Dee the $1,700, Arambula apologized to Dee Dee that Cook called the CHP on her. Arambula also added, “My friend is really destroying my life. I’m sorry I involved him.”

 She said, “Yes, he is.” 

Then, Arambula asked how Dee Dee’s business worked and what he could do to get reimbursed.

On video, Dee Dee spends about 15 minutes talking about how she complies with the law and follows best practice. She even says if they don’t comply by the law, “We can lose our business and possibly go to jail. . . . That’s why I’m trying to be as transparent as possible.”

She then explains why her tow rates are so high. Dee Dee says, “However, the minute that the driver puts any of his equipment on your car, you have to pay the drop fee. If he pulls his bed up, once that tow and the hook happens, you’re responsible for the charge.”

But here, Arambula didn’t consent to the driver putting his tow hook on his car. Dee Dee charged Arambula $295 to attach a hook to his car.

Arambula objects and says, “But your driver said this would be free of charge.”

Dee Dee responds, “90 percent of the time it is.” She then clarifies that free of charge means the insurance actually pays for it.

She adds: “We have to be very careful. We can’t just go and grab [any car.] If I did that, and you don’t have insurance at all, guess who’s assed out? Me! 

"Not just you, but me too! I have bills to pay too. I have a family to feed too. If I don’t have a business I can’t do that. So, I’m not going to risk my business.”

Dee Dee blames Arambula for not filing a claim immediately with both insurance companies. She says, “Had this been notified day one, they could’ve immediately picked up this vehicle at this price.”

She then tells Arambula, (who was the car crash victim), “You need to file a claim immediately. [Tell them] Hey, it was my fault. . . . Then they’ll work with me and these are the charges.”

Dee Dee maintains that Arambula still needs to file his claim and tell her the claim number. She says, “I let them know what the tow bill was. . . . All of this is going to be a numbers game.”

In total, Dee Dee talks about an insurance claim 24 times in the video recording.

Dee Dee Admits CHP Officer Voss Calls Her Regarding His Crashed Prius; Kickback Suspected.  

Dee Dee explains to Arambula that they don’t officially work with the CHP, because they can’t get the high rates and they don’t have enough drivers and tow trucks. But as a private towing company, she says: “We can charge up the higher rates. That’s how we make our money.” (In other words, working unofficially with the CHP is the more lucrative and smarter way.)

Then Arambula asked Dee Dee, “So mine was in the Altadena CHP. So he’s [Eric Voss] the one, who contacted the guy who picked up my towing truck?”

Dee Dee answers, “Mmmm hmmm. Yeah. That’s how that works. . . . There’s many different ways these calls can come over.” 

(Voss is also well networked in the CHP. According to the Altadena CHP Instagram, Voss has two other brothers working for the CHP: Kyle and Lucas.)

Another victim of Cyrus Tow

Cyrus Tow Appears to Have a Relationship with Stanton LA County Sheriffs to Enable their Scheme.

Before Arambula and Angel leave, they film another elderly woman victim attempting to retrieve her vehicle. The victim called Los Angeles County Sheriff. The obese woman sheriff smirks at the victim and tells her nothing could be done. The victim puts her head down and walks away sad with the gleeful Dee Dee.Arambula’s incident is not isolated. Five other victims have complained on Yelp.

When asked about how he feels after the tow, Aramabula said, “This is just wrong. These people are profiting from our pain. We could’ve been seriously hurt. Handicapped or dead. It makes me so mad.”