The Denver tow truck indictment announced Oct. 8 charges 12 people, all between 23 and 30 years old, with 187 counts. Prosecutors say the group worked crash scenes in the Denver area and then pushed stolen vehicles through the state’s DMV on forged paperwork, according to CBS Colorado’s account of the indictment. Oscar Salinas and Zaki Merhazi, described as the leaders and the owners of the towing companies, are in Denver custody. An indictment is an accusation, and none of the 12 has been convicted.
Only six of the 187 counts involve tows. In March and April 2026, the indictment says, Salinas, sometimes with his girlfriend, arrived at crash scenes with a tow truck and persuaded drivers to let him haul their damaged vehicles away. One driver told CBS Colorado that Salinas approached her after a March 20 crash on Sheridan Boulevard and said an “SOS” message from her phone had alerted him. CBS noted that those messages typically go to emergency contacts and dispatch centers, not tow operators…