WASHINGTON - A D.C. family is saying there is a good reason why their vandalized car shouldn't have been towed.

The dilemma for Chris Thompson and her husband Mike started on Thanksgiving morning when they noticed the wheels and tires on their Audi had been stolen and the car was sitting on cinder blocks. Five days later, after filing a police report and while waiting for the new parts to come in, the city took matters into its own hands.

Earlier this week, a tow truck contracted by the Department of Public Works (DPW) dragged a $70,000 dollar car to an impound lot.

"They dragged the car with a cinder block underneath it," said Thompson. "It made me sick."

Now, Thompson is outraged, claiming the damage is estimated at $20,000. "They couldn't have run our tags, they couldn't have found us," said Thompson. "They didn't try anything."

Neighbor Melvin Peterson initially reported the car to police last week. "I was concerned that maybe it was a stolen vehicle being stripped," Peterson said.

Days later, Peterson watched as it was taken away. "When the vehicle pulled out I said, they just did a serious amount of damage to this man's car," he said. 

An official with DPW said the car was given a $250 ticket and towed because it was deemed "too dangerous to be on public space".

The Capitol Hill couple, however, said no one ever notified them they were in violation. They claim they still haven't been able to talk to anyone other than a receptionist at the office.

"I was practically in tears when I got handed $250 ticket, I had to pay $120 at the impound for a car that was already vandalized," said Thompson.

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