North Miami towing company targeted three times

Dolphin Towing beefs up security, hires security guard

NORTH MIAMI, Fla. – A North Miami towing company believes it has been targeted by an arsonist three times within the past three months.

The latest incident happened around 3:30 a.m. Thursday when someone torched one of the company's tow trucks at the business in the 147th block of West Dixie Highway.

"It happened so fast. It was just crazy," said tow truck driver Pierre Chery. "One minute I was in my car looking at my phone, and the next minute the truck was engulfed in flames."

Local 10's Baron James reports Chery and his coworkers at Dolphin Towing in North Miami moved like wildfire, grabbing fire extinguishers to fight the flames.

"We put it out for two seconds and it just came right back," said Chery.

Chery also grabbed his cell phone to shoot video of this latest apparent arson, following two other firey attacks in the last three months, on the company-owned Ford F-560 Rollback wreckers not for repos, but they said to help drivers in trouble.

"We are at a loss of words. We never hurt anybody," said Dolphin Towing owner Robert Nodarse. "We don't owe any money to anybody. We're family owned and operated. We've been on this corner for 25 years, towing for five, so it's getting out of hand."

Still, Nodarse's towing team wonders if the attacks could be part of a growing tow truck turf war.

"I think it's a neighboring tow company that doesn't like that we are taking contracts," said Chery. "Somebody's jealous."

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded Thursday morning, putting out the fire and continuing their investigation.

"They're calling the incidents arson," said Nodarse.

Nodarse said he is beefing up security around his family owned business, adding surveillance cameras and hiring a security guard.

Nodarse wants to try to stop any more of his remaining 7 expensive tow trucks from being torched, and more money go up in smoke.

"They can average from $60,000 to $100,000," said Nodarse. "It's hard. You've got to give a day off to a driver. We are out of money, but at least nobody's getting hurt.

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