Man Sentenced to More Than 1 Year After Flock Alert Showed Him Using Tow Truck to Steal Cars

NORFOLK, Va. – Samuel Charles Baker, 71, was sentenced on Thursday, Oct. 10, to serve one year and two months in prison for committing four auto thefts and possessing a burglarious tool when he illegally towed and sold multiple Norfolk residents’ cars between 2022 and 2023.

At the time of his crimes, Mr. Baker owned a tow truck but did not work for a towing company. Mr. Baker would mostly target older cars parked on public streets, tow them, and take them to a local salvage yard. There, Mr. Baker would falsely claim to be the owner of the cars in order to sell them to the salvage yard.

In 2023, Mr. Baker stole two vehicles in that manner. The victims reported their stolen vehicles to Norfolk Police, and investigators entered the vehicle descriptions and license plate numbers into the Flock license-plate-reader database. Flock cameras later recognized the license plate of one of the stolen vehicles as it was being towed on Mr. Baker’s truck, which then gave the police Mr. Baker’s license plate number.

Based on that information, investigators developed Mr. Baker as a suspect for several other thefts from the previous year in 2022. When investigators arrested Mr. Baker at his Virginia Beach home, his tow truck was parked outside with another stolen vehicle hitched onto it. Two victims’ cars were later found to have been crushed, and two other victims were able to retrieve their cars from the salvage yard. One of the victims whose car was crushed reported that she had kept her deceased son’s belongings in the car for storage and therefore suffered a profound emotional loss from Mr. Baker’s crimes.

Mr. Baker was charged in each theft with possessing a burglarious tool (the tow truck) and either grand larceny of an automobile or petit larceny. Mr. Baker pleaded not guilty to his charges in June 2024 and chose to be tried by a judge. Following a bench trial, Judge Mary Jane Hall found Mr. Baker guilty of three counts of grand larceny of an automobile, one count of petit larceny, and one count of possessing a burglarious tool.

On Oct. 10, Judge Hall sentenced Mr. Baker to serve one year and two months in prison and suspended another four years and 10 months on the conditions that Mr. Baker pay restitution to the victims whose cars were crushed and complete three years of uniform good behavior.

“Tow trucks are essential and even lifesaving tools when used right,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “Mr. Baker used his tow truck to hurt other people, stealing their property, which, even if not worth a lot of money, was of immense value to its owners. Despite his age, Mr. Baker has earned his felony convictions and his prison sentence. I hope that Mr. Baker repents of his actions and does no further harm to the people of our community.”

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Anthony J. Balady prosecuted Mr. Baker’s case on behalf of the Commonwealth, and Norfolk Police Detectives Thomas W. Bowen and Kavoris J. Fruster led the investigation.

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June 26, 2024

Man Convicted of Grand Theft Auto, Possessing Burglarious Tool, Larceny After Flock Alerted Police to Tow Truck Driver Stealing Cars

NORFOLK, Va. – Samuel Charles Baker, 71, was convicted at a bench trial on Monday of four auto thefts and possessing a burglarious tool for illegally towing and selling Norfolk residents’ cars between 2022 and 2023.

At the time of these crimes, Mr. Baker owned a tow truck but did not work for a towing company. Mr. Baker would mostly target older cars parked on public streets, tow them, and take them to a local salvage yard. There, Mr. Baker would falsely claim to be the owner of the cars in order to sell them to the salvage yard.

In 2023, Mr. Baker stole two vehicles in that manner. The victims reported their stolen vehicles to Norfolk Police, and investigators entered the vehicle descriptions and license plate numbers into the Flock license-plate-reader database. Flock cameras later recognized the license plate of one of the stolen vehicles as it was being towed on Mr. Baker’s truck, which then gave the police Mr. Baker’s license plate number.

Based on that information, investigators developed Mr. Baker as a suspect for several other thefts from the previous year. When investigators arrested Mr. Baker at his Virginia Beach home, his tow truck was parked outside with another stolen vehicle hitched onto it. Two victims’ cars were later found to have been crushed, and two other victims were able to retrieve their cars from the salvage yard.

Mr. Baker was charged in each theft with possessing a burglarious tool (the tow truck) and either grand larceny of an automobile or petit larceny.

Mr. Baker pleaded not guilty to his charges and chose to be tried by a judge. Following his bench trial, Judge Mary Jane Hall found Mr. Baker guilty of three counts of grand larceny of an automobile, one count of petit larceny, and one count of possessing a burglarious tool. Mr. Baker’s sentencing date is set for Sept. 19.

“Once again, the Flock system led to the arrest of a wrongdoer in a case where it otherwise would have been difficult or impossible,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “Thanks to great police work and the Flock system, victims got their cars back, Mr. Baker was arrested, and the only person whom the police stopped was the guilty party, not innocent tow truck drivers doing their jobs. Technology like Flock, used right, makes us safer and protects our civil rights.” 

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Anthony J. Balady is prosecuting Mr. Baker’s case on behalf of the Commonwealth, and Norfolk Police Detectives Thomas W. Bowen and Kavoris J. Fruster led the investigation.

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