A Florida tow truck driver allegedly towed away a Honda Accord without first checking what was inside. Now, he’s facing felony charges.
According to Florida news outlet WPLG, on Sunday, December 14, 2025, 34-year-old Sergio Jesus Suarez, an employee of All-Ways Towing, hooked up a Honda Accord parked in front of Bistro Creole Restaurant on West Oakland Park Boulevard in Sunrise, Broward County. Police say Suarez believed the vehicle was illegally parked in a fire zone and began the tow without checking for occupants.
The car’s owner had briefly gone inside the restaurant and, when he saw his vehicle being hooked up, ran out yelling that his young daughter was still in the back seat. According to the arrest report and surveillance video, the father banged on the tow truck’s window and shouted repeatedly, but Suarez allegedly ignored the warnings and drove off.
A witness later told Florida’s WSVN, “The [tow truck] driver is speeding, and the dad is behind, screaming, ‘My daughter is in the car, my daughter is in the car, my daughter is inside,’ and he didn’t stop.”
The kid decides to jump for it
NEW VIDEO: Security footage provided to 7News shows the moment a tow truck in Sunrise sped away with a car that had its owner’s 4-year-old daughter still inside, as the desperate father ran behind it. https://t.co/6PGx3ZiEVD
— WSVN 7 News (@wsvn) December 16, 2025
As the father chased the tow truck down West Oakland Park Boulevard, the 4-year-old reportedly opened the rear door and fell out onto the roadway. The father immediately ran into traffic, picked her up, and moved her to safety, according to police.
Emergency responders transported the girl to Broward Health Medical Center, where she was treated for minor injuries to both arms and her right calf. Thankfully, authorities say her injuries are not considered life-threatening.
After the incident, Sunrise Police called All-Ways Towing to demand that Suarez return to the scene. When he arrived, he reportedly dropped the vehicle some distance away from the officers and tried to leave the scene again before being pulled over and detained.
An ongoing tow truck problem
Sunrise Police arrested Suarez on a felony charge of child neglect without great bodily harm, concluding that his failure to inspect the vehicle before towing and his decision to continue driving despite clear warnings posed a “foreseeable and substantial risk” to the child.
Suarez appeared before Broward County Judge Corey Friedman the next day. Suarez’s lawyer asserted that he and a “spotter” had checked the vehicle multiple times before towing.
Witnesses and local residents expressed shock at the incident, with some recalling similarly aggressive towing practices at the same restaurant location. One witness told reporters that the driver “didn’t care if there’s a child inside,” and urged authorities to hold him accountable.
One witness told local reporters, “So many people have experienced the same thing out there; they have a huge problem with it.”
Suarez posted bond Monday night and was released from the Broward County jail still wearing his towing uniform, according to local news footage. The judge ordered him to avoid contact with the victim and refrain from driving until further proceedings. His next court date has not been publicly scheduled. Sunrise Police also noted that they could not confirm whether the girl’s father will face any investigation related to leaving his daughter unattended, as that matter remains under review.
