A Detroit tow truck driver had the scare of his days when he was lured into a trap and his rig was jacked at gunpoint. The real news: The jackers worked at a rival towing company-slash-tow truck chop shop.


The tow truck thieves bungled by choosing a truck equipped with a GPS tracker, allowing police to follow it to its final destination in northeast Detroit — a competing towing company.

When cops raided the lot, they found the tow truck in pieces and a gun, arresting six people. Police told WXYZ-TV that it was the eighth or ninth tow truck theft reported in Detroit this year, with chop shops going after the expensive winches and other specialized equipment that can be most easily resold — to start new towing companies. It's the circle of life of automotive larceny.