Two Torrance (CA) cops vandalized arrested man's car before having it towed, city will pay $750k

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

note: city will review other arrests made by the duo for inappropriate behavior. Its interesting that the tow company tried to cover for the cops.

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Torrance pays $750,000 to man after police allegedly decorate his car with a swastika

In January 2020, after discovering a swastika on his car's back seat, Kiley Swaine filed a federal lawsuit against the city and its Police Department. The alleged incident occurred after he and two other men were arrested on suspicion of mail theft from an apartment building.

Swaine was later cleared of the mail theft charges.

Two Torrance police officers, Christopher Tomsic and Cody Weldin, allegedly spray-painted the swastika, as well as a happy face, on Swaine's front passenger seat and damaged the interior before having it towed away, Swaine's attorney, Jerry Steering, said in a news release.

After Swaine was released and went to retrieve his car, he saw the graffiti and reported it to Torrance police.

The case was referred to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office, which filed conspiracy and vandalism charges against Tomsic and Weldin, both of whom have left the force.

The two men, who pleaded not guilty, are awaiting trial.



https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/torrance-pays-750-000-to-man-after-police-allegedly-decorate-his-car-with-a-swastika/ar-AA18QsPP


Arrested in mail theft

Swaine was arrested in the early morning hours of January 2020 on suspicion of stealing mail from a Torrance apartment building. He was held in jail overnight and released the next day. No charges were ever filed, but his car was impounded. Swaine and his father learned the car was vandalized when they went to the tow yard two days later to pick up the vehicle.

The lawsuit said the tow yard paid the $2,250 cost of repairing the damage to the car. Swaine said he was led to believe wrongly that the vehicle was trashed by the tow truck driver.


“What were they supposed to do? Turn in the police?” said Swaine’s attorney, Jerry Steering of Newport Beach. Steering said the tow
yard may have been trying to preserve its lucrative impound contract with the city.


Tow truck driver initially a suspect
The case unraveled after tow truck driver Christopher Dunn, who was interrogated by police as a suspect, broke down and said he had witnessed Tomsic spray painting the outside of the car. Dunn also received a text message from Weldin apologizing for the damage, according to court documents.

https://www.dailybreeze.com/2022/01/20/owner-of-car-painted-with-swastika-allegedly-by-torrance-police-wants-6-million-in-damages/

[ColinC]

1. I like how police commit crimes and then have taxpayers foot the bill for them

[SamKnause]

2. Evil lying scum.