A view of Auto Towing's yard
Auto Towing, based out of this yard in Hunters Point, is accused of illegally entering private property to tow away people's cars — and targeting vulnerable non-English speakers. Photo via Google Maps.

The owner of a San Francisco towing company was federally indicted today for allegedly setting fire to six tow trucks across the Bay Area in a bid to drive more business to two of his companies, according to the Department of Justice.

Jose Vicente Badillo, the co-owner of Auto Towing and Specialty Towing in Bayview, did not personally start the fires, but allegedly directed others to do so, U.S. Attorney Patrick Robbins said today.

Badillo’s associates set fire to “at least six tow trucks on four occasions between April 2023 and October 2023,” including five in San Francisco and one in East Palo Alto. Badillo, working with others, was allegedly hoping “to drive more business to two Bay-Area based towing companies with which Badillo was associated, Auto Towing and Specialty Towing … Badillo allegedly orchestrated the conspiracy and then directed others to set fire to the targeted tow trucks.”

He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000. 

This is not Badillo’s only offense, and the federal charges are the latest in a long series of sanctions against the tow truck operator. Last February, the San Francisco district attorney’s office charged Badillo and the co-owner of Auto Towing, Abigail Fuentes, with a rash of felonies, including for trespassing on a bank parking lot, putting up fraudulent “No Parking” signs and then towing customers’ cars. 

The city attorney’s office then moved to debar the company, preventing it from receiving city contracts; the company was officially cut from city contracts in July.

In August, FBI agents raided Specialty Towing, another of Badillo’s companies; agents reportedly used a flash grenade to enter the Bayview operation, and several were seen in military fatigues outside the building.

Badillo and Fuentes also allegedly committed welfare fraud, claiming they were making $1,000 a month while in reality netting $2 million a year. Badillo and Fuentes then bought storefronts, homes, cars and boats, including a “2023 Lamborghini valued at $288,786.” 

He will appear in court again next week, on March 20. He is also facing unrelated federal charges for money laundering and insurance fraud.

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Joe was born in Sweden, where half of his family received asylum after fleeing Pinochet, and then spent his early childhood in Chile; he moved to Oakland when he was eight. He attended Stanford University for political science and worked at Mission Local as a reporter after graduating. He then spent time at YIMBY Action and as a partner for the strategic communications firm The Worker Agency. He rejoined Mission Local as an editor in 2023. You can reach him on Signal @jrivanob.99.

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3 Comments

  1. Specialty Towing is also the company that famously tried to tow an occupied car in the middle of traffic by sneak-attacking them at a red light. Craziness.

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