This story first appeared in the Saturday (Dec. 20) print edition of the Daily Post. To get all the important local news first, pick up the Post in the mornings at 1,000 Mid-Peninsula locations.
BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT
Daily Post Staff Writer
A tow truck driver has sued the city of Mountain View claiming Councilwoman Ellen Kamei had him arrested for towing her car from a downtown parking lot.
Felix Salcido, 42, said he was hired by a property owner to tow cars of non-employees parked in seven reserved spaces behind 745 Evelvn Ave., the lawsuit said. The illegally parked cars included a Tesla and a car belonging to Kamei and her husband, Christopher Takeuchi, who ignored the “no parking” signs on April 12, 2023, Salcido’s lawsuit said.
“Kamei’s car and the others towed were parked illegally in a manner interfering with the entrance to or exit from the private property,” the suit said.
Kamei and Takeuchi were “infuriated” when they found out about the tow, the suit said.
Takeuchi kept pleading with Kamei to “call the captain” when they picked the car up from Ed’s Tow & Cradle, the suit said. Afterward, Kamei allegedly went to Sgt. Chris Goff and asked him to investigate Salcido for illegal tow-ing, “specifically to get back at Mr. Sal-cido,” the suit said.
“Kamei used her position, status and access as a city council member to make such contact,” the suit said.
Goff then requested a list of tows at the property. contacted the car owners and told them that Salcido had illegally towed them, the suit said.
Goff allegedly encouraged the owner of the Tesla that was towed, Dominic Gluhaich, to press charges against Salcido. Salcido was charged with a felony for making illegal tows on June 20, court records show.
Goff interviewed the manager of the business that owns the spaces. She said she was frustrated that her employees couldn’t park there, and the property manager had a contract with Ed’s Tow and Cradle.
Gluhaich told Goff that he left his Tesla for around 90 minutes and had to pay a $325 fee to get the car back, and he wanted Salcido prosecuted.
Salcido said that the manager requested the tow, and he thought he had a good understanding of the state vehicle code, Goff said in his police report.
Goff found that Salcido didn’t have any written authorization for the tow, violating state vehicle code.
Goff mentioned a second car, a blue 2005 Honda Accord, but didn’t name Kamei or Takeuchi in his police report. He also didn’t say who notified him of the “potential unlawful towing.”
Judge Thang Barrett dismissed the felony case against Salcido at the Palo Alto Courthouse on Aug. 21 because the evidence was insufficient, court records show.
Salcido’s defense attorney, Patrica Fox, called out alleged irregularities in Goff’s police report and filed a motion to see any previous complaints made against Goff. Goff withheld his report for 13 months after concluding the investigation, and he didn’t have another supervisor review the report before sending it to District Attorney Jeff Rosen’s office, Fox said in her motion.
The report said it was prepared by Goff on April 23, 2023, and approved by Goff on May 12, 2023. Usually a different supervisor will approve the report, but Goff avoided a fair evaluation, Fox said.
“Similar conduct by other towing companies is not prosecuted as felonies, or at all,” Fox said in her motion on June 20.
Goff has been named in lawsuits alleging police brutality before, Fox said.
A concertgoer, Anthony Gonzalez, said that Goff and other police officers slammed him to the ground and knocked him out while he was arguing with his girlfriend in a parking lot at Shoreline Amphitheater on Sept. 7, 2019. The city paid Gonzalez $90,000 to drop his lawsuit in July 2022, according to a settlement agreement obtained by the Post.
Kamei, 41, hasn’t returned a request for her side of the story since Tuesday. She was elected to council in 2018 and re-elected in 2022.
The city doesn’t comment on lawsuits but will file a response in mid to late January “that will reveal the city’s position,” city spokeswoman Lenka Wright said in an email on Wednesday.
Salcido’s attorney, Gustavo Magana, said Salcido was subject to “malicious prosecution” and defamation, according to the lawsuit filed in federal court on Dec. 9.
In an unrelated move, council voted 4-3 on Dec. 10 to dissolve its Public Safety Advisory Board that was created after the death of George Floyd.
The board met monthly with Chief Mike Canfield to talk about police issues, starting with the school resource officer program at Mountain View High School.
Assistant City Manager Audrey Seymour Ramberg told council only four of seven positions were filled, and city employees spent a lot of time on meetings.
Kamei made the motion to dissolve the board.
“We had goals and we achieved them, and it’s time to move on … We have a police department that’s very accessible,” Kamei said.
This ends Ellen Kamei’s political career. Next!
Where does a young councilmember get the idea that she can tell police who to arrest? She’s so dumb she doesn’t understand how city government works!
With that attitude, she could become the next sheriff of San Mateo County.
Maybe they should give badges and guns to council members?
Well looki-what-we have here, using her power to summon the police, sheriff or captain to do what she says … hmmm I wonder why Sgt. Goff answered so quickly? I think if I knew Kamei, I would to, wait she does look familiar … I think these County and Counsil positions think they live above the law.
If we’re going to be voting for the San Mateo Count BOS to have control over law enforcement with out ever being in Law Enforcement, then Kamei is a good reason not to give these voted-in paid positions any power over the sheriff etc. They aren’t showing responsibility.
Don’t these “other” leaders of cities have other responsibilities to work on?
I’d like to see Noelia’s secret powers.
The tow company acted illegally. This isn’t a gray area, state law requires written authorization for the tow, which they didn’t have. Not only was tow illegal, but the city should audit how many other residents got raked over the coals illegally, pull this tow company’s license, and auction off their assets to make those residents whole.
Doesn’t matter if it was a councilmember or a sixteen year old kid with no power, tow company acted illegally.
The judge threw out the issue of whether the tow was lawful. The main issue in this civil suit is whether Council Member Kamei exceeded her authority. She’ll lose and have to pay. Moreover, if she ever runs for office again, her opponent and the media will bring this up, to let the voters decide. This is the kind of elitist behavior regular people despise.
Kamei reminds me of former mayor Mario Ambra. Ambra gave city employees instructions to paint a “no stopping” zone in front of his driveway near Costco and McDonald’s, so he could always get out to the street. Ambra also insisted that public works pave the street in front of his house every year. A grand jury voted to remove Ambra from office.