Oakland police working to get towed vehicle back to homeless mom
OAKLAND, Calif. - An unhoused mother in Oakland straddled with thousands of dollars in fees to reclaim her vehicle towed during last month's storms, is set to get it back on Friday, according to police.
The Oakland Police Department told KTVU on Thursday that the vehicle was towed due to expired registration. The department said that its victim specialist is working to get the woman's vehicle back at no charge to her.
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"The vehicle tow fees will be paid through our OPD Victim Tow Fund. The fees will most likely be paid tomorrow and Ms. Burnett should be retrieving her vehicle tomorrow," said the police department's media team.
The vehicle's owner, 53-year-old Jade Burnett, said her 2008 Pontiac Vibe was towed from the 3000 block of 39th Street on Feb. 23.
Burnett, her 17-year-old son, who is autistic, and her 9-year-old daughter have been living in the car on Oakland streets for several years.
In February, during the winter storms, the Women's Daytime Drop-In Center placed Burnett and her family in a motel in Pinole for a few nights.
Upon her return, she discovered her car missing and promptly contacted the police.
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Burnett said she was verbally informed that her car didn't have an updated registration sticker on it, even though she said she had paid.
There is no documentation to prove what she said because she never received a ticket or citation – her car was just towed.
She said she learned that her car had been taken to Auto Plus Towing when she called Oakland police, thinking her car might have been stolen.
Burnett, who is disabled, relies on the car for her work with Uber Eats.
"I do mostly gig jobs because I don’t have childcare, and I can't afford childcare, so I have to work around the kids," she explained.
The cost to retrieve the car amounted to nearly $4,000, a price she can't afford outright.
"I need my car back. I'm willing to pay in installments," she said. "My medication is in the car. Part of one of my leg braces is in the car. Our clothes, blankets, food, everything is in the car."
The West Side Missionary Baptist Church, overseeing the Safe Car Park Program, which provides secure parking for unhoused people living in their cars, has also been assisting Burnett in getting her vehicle back.