Woman Shot in Houston Tow Truck – Repo or Tow?

Finding the Truth in the Numbers

Late last month I received an email from a concerned member of the repo industry about a story regarding a woman shot in a tow truck in Houston. Digging into the story, I found out a lot. But, like a lot of stories involving tow trucks, whether or not it was a repossession wasn’t clear. This lack of clarity illustrates just how elusive the truth is in this industry.

The Shooting

It was early morning on Thursday August 21^st in the 14500 block of Ella Boulevard in Houston when a woman and her husband were driving through an apartment complex in a tow truck. For reasons still unknown, three young men allegedly opened fire on them.

Woman Shot in Houston Tow Truck – Repo or Tow? — Click to enlarge

In the process, the woman, whose name I will obscure for her privacy, was struck multiple times and seriously injured.

Deputies soon arrived and administered life saving aid until the paramedics arrived and transported her to the hospital.

Police quickly identified three suspects who were said to be directly involved in the shooting: 23-year-old Gerson Flores, 26-year-old Jeancarlo Zelaya, and 28-year-old Freylin Machado.

All were reportedly charged with Aggravated with a Deadly Weapon with Serious Bodily Injury.

Authorities reported that Flores had an active warrant for Unlawfully Carrying a Weapon.

According to court records, Zeleya’s bond was set at $60,0000, and Machado’s for $25,000 and Flores was not available at the time of the initial report.

The victims were not identified at the time, and there was no information on the woman’s condition or what led up to the shooting.

The Source: Mark Herman, Harris County Constable Precinct 4

Down the Rabbit Hole

Hoping to get some local help, I asked for help from a well-known PI and skip tracer and did develop some leads including the victim’s name, address, date of birth and what was believed to be her residential address through county records. But nowhere was it listed what they were doing or which company they worked for.

Assuming the last name was her married surname, I searched the Texas TDLR records and found almost half a dozen owners and operators of that surname with nothing tying them together.

The injuries were still fresh and there was strong reason to believe she was still hospitalized, so obviously, approaching the victim or family at this time would be rude and insensitive. So, finding out more at this time quickly became unfruitful and my investigation quickly came to an end.

So, was it a repo or a tow? We’ll probably never know. Either way, I pray for her quick and full recovery.

It’s like this a lot of the time. Most violent incidents that happen in the field, we’ll never hear about.

Hidden Numbers

This incident, like so many others, we will probably never know if it was a repossession assignment or a tow patrol. A woman got shot, it doesn’t really matter much more than that in reality. But from the perspective of understanding, I provide you this example as to just how challenging getting to the truth can be.

Back in 2023, I reported of the murder of an Atlanta repossessor on August 26^th. The press never provided a name. never followed up on the murder and it wasn’t until one of those stories of the numerous murders in Atlanta in 2023 stories that they publish at the end of every year that it came to light.

The 47-year-old man was named Antonio Beckham. Who he worked for, I have no idea. I found his funeral announcement from that September on Legacy.com. No photos, no notes and no real obituary.

Aside from his job repossessing, his obscure death and lack of recognition are sadly very little different than it is for many in this world.

This is just part of the challenge of finding the truth behind the scale and frequency of violence in the repossession industry.

Ambulance Chasing

I’ve been covering stories of violence in the repossession industry for over fifteen years. In that time, I have heard many complaints about me covering these stories. Some complain that I’m scaring away their employees and potential candidates. Some have said I’m just sensationalizing these tragedies for my own benefit.

Am I scaring away employees or potential employees? Maybe, but I don’t think its realistic, fair or safe to candy coat the truth. Sensationalizing tragedy for my own benefit. That one always hurts. I find no joy in the injury or death of others. I do have a soul.

I was once an agent in the pre-internet days when you never heard about of any of these types of incidents. The press didn’t care and news was usually local and these stories never warranted national attention. I was always told by the old-timers that no one wants to hear about it, it’s bad for business.

And so this society of secrecy remained for almost a century. Men suffered and died in obscurity while generations followed down the same sad path repeating the same mistakes. Little was ever learned from the mistakes of the past.

The Numbers

The point of all this is, late last month it was requested of me by two different men in from two different states in this industry who I’ve known for years that I compile all of the stories of violent incidents in the repossession industry as far back as I could. Their intention was to provide data to help their state’s governing bodies to understand just how dangerous the industry is.

Their goals are noble, so I agreed.

Revisiting all of these stories for just the last five years was hard. Not just time consuming but depressing in reliving what these people went through. Real wrist slashing stuff when you look at it for hours on end.

Fortunately for you all, you don’t have to. I have managed to compile and categorize all that I know. Both fortunately and unfortunately, as I illustrated above, I know my numbers are probably just a fraction of the hidden reality.

I am almost done with the data for the Violent Incidents report and expect to have it published by end of this week.

Kevin Armstrong

Publisher