Towing Community Bands Together to Recover Stolen Truck

By George L. Nitti After 46 days, a tow truck stolen from Elizabeth Truck Center in Elizabeth, New Jersey was recovered. The truck, a 2024 Ford F-450 Super Cab wrecker with a Vulcan auto loader, was reported missing on July 9th and was eventually located in Atlanta, Georgia. Concerned about the theft, the towing community rallied together to assist in the search. “We decided it was crucial to get the word out ASAP,” said Joyce Powers, marketing director at the Elizabeth Truck Center. “Everyone in the towing community takes these things personally, and I knew we could count on each other to find the truck.”  

Sightings of the truck were first reported in the Bronx and Brooklyn. Initial leads came from tow truck operators who had spotted the vehicle and sent photos confirming its whereabouts. A private investigator was hired to assist in following up on the leads coming in. As the search continued, the truck was found to have been repainted from white to black and later even vinyl wrapped with a fake towing company name! 

A breakthrough came when the folks at Elizabeth Truck Center received a tip from an individual in Atlanta a couple of weeks later saying they spotted the truck. Despite some skepticism, the tipster provided photos that confirmed the truck’s identity and police were contacted. The recovery process was complicated though as the urgency of the police response was muted by other variables. Powers said, “It was challenging to secure the vehicle because in NYC and Atlanta, there is a lot of crime going on so our case wasn’t a top priority.”    

The turning point came when a tow truck driver named Tavon, a former Rockland County, NY resident now living in Atlanta, contacted Jim and revealed the truck’s location at an impound lot. Once the truck’s whereabouts was confirmed, the team coordinated with the impounding towing company and completed the necessary paperwork. Tavon worked with the team at ETC to get the truck from the impound lot and drove it back to Elizabeth. “He had been following the case closely online and was very familiar with the truck’s description,” said Powers. 

When Elizabeth Truck Center received the truck back it had been damaged. It was purportedly used for illicit activities as the thief, who was acting as a fake tow truck operator, didn’t know how to properly operate the wrecker. Powers gave thanks to the Elizabeth Police Department, whom she said “provided valuable support, including facial recognition efforts and fingerprint analysis” and the Officer of the Georgia Highway Patrol who arrested the perpetrator with a felony charge as well as a number of misdemeanors. 

But Powers particularly highlighted the comradery of the towing community to crack the case and bring the tow truck back safely. In a message online Steve Pesce Sr. wrote “Thank you Tavon and thank you to our brothers and sisters in the towing industry. I’m proud to be associated with these hard working individuals. When one is hurt we all feel the hurt. Be strong, be safe, and God Bless you.”