Two employees of a Hawaii towing company are were arrested this week for having allegedly been involved in a car theft ring. Police told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser they recovered a total of seven vehicles in connection with the case.
Three cars were found on the grounds of the Northside Towing company, the Star-Advertiser said. Northside Towing has only been registered with the state since February, according to the newspaper, and the company has already received a number of complaints from customers, though a check with the state Consumer Resource Center failed to uncover any items.
According to the Star-Advertiser, Larry Franchey and Austin Keala, both of Waialua, were each charged with three counts of second-degree theft apiece. A location in Campbell Industrial Park was raided by police on Wednesday, where seven allegedly stolen vehicles were found. There was no information on how the alleged theft operation worked, according to the paper.
Nor is that the end of the story, according to the Star-Advertiser. Police sources told the paper that additional arrests were being considered and that the investigation of Northside Towing was ongoing since the company has several more employees. A neighbor also told the Star-Advertiser that the business had been operating from the front lawn of 91-218 Olai Street, the site where Franchey was arrested on Wednesday.
Auto theft has been an issue in the news in the area of late, as the Star-Advertiser pointed out that a motorcycle theft ring was uncovered earlier this year, resulting in five arrests. High rates of car theft in an area can cause some policy issuers to raise their car insurance rates.