PORT RICHEY, FLORIDA — A tow truck driver was arrested Tuesday, November 3, after police said he admitted to stealing a handbag and about $3,900 worth of belongings from a vehicle that had been towed following a crash.
According to a Port Richey Police Department arrest affidavit, the vehicle’s owner reported that Pasco Towing took her car to a tow yard at 6012 Pine Hill after the crash. When she arrived the next day to collect her belongings, several items were missing.
Investigators obtained surveillance footage that reportedly showed a man entering the vehicle through the driver’s door with a flashlight and searching the rear interior. Minutes later, he allegedly left carrying a small, dark-colored handbag, returned to his tow truck, and drove out of the lot.
Officers identified the suspect as Frank Savier Ortiz, 34, and met with him Tuesday at Pasco Towing. After being read his Miranda rights, Ortiz admitted entering the vehicle and taking the handbag, according to the affidavit. He told investigators he needed money for rent and believed the bag held valuable items.
Ortiz told officers that $150 AirPods were in his pocket and a $250 Marc Jacobs wallet was in a zip-up bag inside his tow truck. He also reportedly admitted that a $500 Louis Vuitton coin purse containing a $3,000 Cartier bracelet was at his home.
Ortiz was arrested on charges of vehicle burglary and grand theft.
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