Newark Teen’s Car Was Towed. These Cops Made Sure He Got A Break

NEWARK, NJ — Watching your car get towed away can put a sinking feeling into your stomach. But for a Newark teen, the experience will likely go down as one of the most inspirational moments of his life thanks to some empathy from a pair of local cops.

It all began Wednesday, when officer Toye Muhammad saw a young man’s unregistered vehicle being towed near South 7th Street and 12th Avenue, a Newark police spokesperson told Patch.

Noticing that the teen was upset, Muhammad called him over. The 18-year-old explained that he just bought the car, but didn’t have enough money to have it registered and titled.

Muhammad helped the teen to calm down, then told him and his mother to call the towing company and find out the next steps. The officer also looped in Captain Lee Douglas, and together, the pair set off to make sure the young vehicle owner got a break.

Reaching into his own pocket, Muhammad gave the teen $250 to cover the $240 cost of releasing the car – then told him to keep the change. Meanwhile, Douglas pitched in $123 to pay for the teen’s vehicle registration and title.

It was a simple gesture that hit home for the teen, who had a “very negative” opinion of the police before the incident, the officers said.

“This situation was a prime example of what the mayor, the police director and the chief have been talking about … helping the community by putting yourself in their shoes,” Muhammad said.

Douglas agreed.

“I’m happy that we could change his perception of the police with one interaction,” he said.

• See related article: Newark Cop Breaks Out Own Wallet To Replace Stolen Christmas Bikes
• See related article: Shoeless In A Rainstorm: Newark Cops Assist Boy With Autism

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