Fort Worth police search for teen who shot, injured tow truck driver repossessing vehicle
The Fort Worth Police Department is searching for an 18-year-old man who opened fire on a tow truck driver during a vehicle repossession on Dec. 21.
Police responded to a shooting call just before noon in the 5900 block of Vermillion Drive, they said in a news release Wednesday.
While he was trying to repossess a vehicle, the tow truck driver told police, 18-year-old James Soto and another male suspect approached the driver with guns in their hands. Soto allegedly told the driver to “drop the vehicle,” police said, and he and the other suspect opened fire, shooting the driver in the left arm.
Police said Soto and multiple other people, including a 7-year-old, got into the vehicle and drove away. After officers spotted the vehicle, Soto fled at speeds up to 100 mph, police said.
Soto exited westbound Interstate 20, hit a wall and then drove to Hulen Mall, where the vehicle crashed into a concrete barrier, authorities said. Occupants of the vehicle tried to flee on foot, leaving the 7-year-old behind.
Two other suspects have been arrested. Soto and a juvenile girl fled from the scene, police said.
Four warrants have been issued for Soto’s arrest. He is wanted for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, abandoning and endangering a child, evading arrest and unlawful carrying of a weapon, police said.
Anyone with information on Soto’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Fort Worth Police Department at 817-392-4576.
This story was originally published December 29, 2021 at 5:09 PM.
