KC woman says she's a victim of tow company under criminal investigation

Yahoo

15-04-2025

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City woman says she's a victim of a local tow company now at the center of serious criminal allegations. The company's owners are accused of flat-out stealing cars across the area.
'I was really in shock because I didn't think it was possible,' Tkia Hill said.
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FOX4 first showed you exclusive video of police hauling vehicles out of Metro Tow on Agnes Avenue last Wednesday during a police raid.
Now, the company's owner, Donald Adamson, and his mother, Lannette Adamson, each face nine felony charges.
Details in the probable cause statements are alarming. Police allege the Adamsons were simply taking advantage of people—and investigators consider them 'dangerous.'
'The car was gone, thought it was stolen, I placed a stolen car report at 9:18,' Hill said.
Hill is an educator who also does hair in her spare time. On April 7, after finishing her day in the classroom, she headed to a client's apartment for a hair appointment that went smoothly. But when she returned to the parking lot—her car was gone.
What she didn't know at the time: she had just become a target of what investigators allege is a serial criminal towing operation. She would find out fast.
'They wouldn't let me get my work badge, my house keys—I was locked out of my house. They said my tags were fake, they said my bill of sale expired—which doesn't expire. I called the police but then they got there and told me it was a civil matter and they couldn't really do anything about it,' Tkia Hill said.
Relief would come sooner than expected. Just one day later, on April 9, she got a call from detectives.
'I got that call that they're searching the tow place and they found like—all the information I gave the tow place is true and they had no reason to keep my car from me,' Hill said.
Court documents say Donald and Lannette Adamson were hiding behind their tow business to steal cars and harass customers who tried to get their vehicles back.
The probable cause statement reads: 'These patterns show the vehicles are towed illegally and the state 4669 form being filled out fraudulently all under Donald's business Metro Tow.'
But that's not all. Police say during the investigation; they installed a surveillance camera on a nearby pole.
On March 8, a black pickup truck drove past the camera, then doubled back and 'fired several rounds,' disabling it. Five shell casings were recovered at the scene.
Investigators say: 'Employees and/or the owner of Metro Tow is suspected of shooting the camera out.'
'I just hope that they get everything that's coming to them—that they get what they deserve,' Hill said.
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FOX4 stopped by Metro Tow on Monday to ask questions—and to see if they were still open. Sure enough, they are. But staff closed the window on us when we arrived.
Both Donald and Lannette Adamson are due back in court Tuesday morning.
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