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Police: Unlicensed Tow Truck Driver Put Up Own Signs, Towed Cars

FLORAL PARK, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- An unlicensed tow truck driver stood accused this weekend of illegally towing cars on Long Island.

As WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reported, police said Christopher Capurso, 22, was slick. He would go into businesses in the Floral Park, Long Island, area just across the boundary from Queens, and put up signs that read, "Tow Away Zone" without the property owners' knowledge.

He would then tow cars one by one in the tow zone he himself had invented, police said.

Police: Unlicensed Tow Truck Driver Put Up Own Signs, Towed Cars

Floral Park police Sgt. Ronald Gagliano told WCBS 880 Capurso did not have a license to run his business, Bumble Bee Towing. He also never had permission from the owners to tow the cars from their property.

"And then when the unsuspecting car owners would come and look for their cars, they would see the signs and call up and he would demand cash only no checks or credit cards -- never knowing the signs were illegal," Gagliano said.

The sergeant said Capurso would charge $200 for the owners to get their vehicles back.

As of Saturday, there were seven victims. But Gagliano said there could be more.

The signs were placed at a dry cleaning business, a church, and a gym.

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