Boyle Heights residents outraged after LAPD tows vehicles amid warehouse fire emergency

After nearly two weeks of emergency vehicles, the smell of rotting food and a massive warehouse fire impacting Boyle Heights residents, some families are now facing extra financial strain after their vehicles were towed by Los Angeles police during the initial firefighting efforts. 

Cell phone video shows the moments when nearly 10 vehicles were towed during the emergency response, all of which say they were not parked illegally when it happened. 

“That’s not fair, man,” Martin Ramirez can be heard saying in the video as he pleads with an LAPD officer last Tuesday, nearly a week after the fire first broke out. “That’s not me. I didn’t cause the fire. … It’s not my fault, too. I ask you for time.”

The officer apologizes, but Ramirez’s car still gets towed, along with several others belonging to his customers. He says that the weight of it all, as their lives were turned upside down by the Lineage cold storage facility fire, made him cry. 

Ramirez owns an auto repair shop near the warehouse and says that he was willing to move the cars to make way for the emergency vehicles when they were instead towed and impounded. 

“Why don’t you guys give us time to move the car?” Ramirez asks before the officer tells him that they “need to work” and to “stop being selfish.”

Juan Canil is one of the residents who had his truck impounded, and says that he was charged $100 in fees to get it back. His wife said that the money means more than ever, as they haven’t been able to get customers into his shop for weeks because of the fire. 

“Right now, with all of the expense that everything is, it’s very expensive,” said Maria Cuara. “So, $100 is $100 that we can buy food too. But, he had to pay in order to take the car.”

In all, LAPD officials say that nine vehicles were towed, five of which had expired registrations and one of which was non-operational. In the video, the LAPD officer can be heard citing California Vehicle Code Section 22651(n), a law that allows law enforcement to tow and impound vehicles parked in restricted zones. 

Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani says the officers may have cited the wrong code section, since it’s possible they weren’t parked illegally.  

“Those vehicles can be moved, but the owner should not and will not pay for the cost of the tow,” Rahmani said. “That’s something that has to be worn by the city.”

Instead, he says that LAPD could’ve used a different vehicle code, which allows for the relocation of cars instead of impounding them. 

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ office shared a statement on the towed vehicles, which said: 

“In coordination with the incident commander at the Palos incident, the Los Angeles Police Department removed multiple vehicles from streets within the operational area to ensure critical fire apparatus had access. These vehicles were blocking and impeding fire operations, and several were non-operational and required tow truck assistance for removal.

These actions have unfortunately created a hardship for residents and we are committed to returning their vehicles as quickly as possible without any additional costs. Our office is working closely with LAPD and the Office of Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado to provide clear information and assistance so residents can be reunited with their vehicles without delay.”

Jurado, who represents the area, also spoke on the incident. 

“This emergency response was something that was warranted. But really, not for the fire,” she said. “They would not have their cars towed and have this additional expense.”

She said that she plans to introduce a motion on Wednesday to waive all remaining city fees and map out new protocols for the future.

“Looking at what is the appropriate code, how can we make sure folks are notified, and if they’ve already paid, or whatever fees have been incurred,” she said. “How can we make them whole in this instance, and further instances as well?”

The Official Police Garage told CBS LA that it has waived all towing and storage fees, but that it is unable to do anything about the city fees that have been charged. The garage is located at 608 N. Mission Road in Los Angeles and is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the weekends. Residents were advised that they must bring their vehicle registration or title and a matching ID to get their vehicle back.