Towing War: Attempted-murder charge in shooting

The son of the owner of North Philadelphia towing firm was charged today with attempted murder in the shooting of a driver from a rival company in a war between wreck chasers.

Jose LaTorre Jr., 40, surrendered to East Detectives Thursday night after being on the run for four days.

Besides attempted murder, he was charged with aggravated assault, weapons offenses, terroristic threats and simple assault in the wounding Monday of a driver from the rival Mystical Complete Auto Service at a car crash scene.

Officials said LaTorre arrived at the scene in his Cadillac Escalade and claimed the tow for his family's J & Son's Auto Body towing and a dispute ensued when a the Mystical driver showed up in a tow truck.

LaTorre, of 5700 block of Vandike Street, shot the driver in the thigh and fled, police said.

Two days later, arsonists torched 13 cars of the J & Son's lot on North 2nd Street near Erie and a gunman fired six shots into the front of Mystical's offices on Ashdale Street near Front.

Read today's Inquirer story on the tow-truck war at http://bit.ly/9LCk9Q