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UPDATE: After our story aired, Nick Owen, the owner of THT Off-Road reached out to KSAT.
He said the lot was supposed to be blocked off.
Owen said the store’s manager, who was out of the country, believed random people were using the lot to their advantage and called to have all the cars towed.
Owen said they later learned employees were using the parking lot without permission to make extra money.
“We will absolutely refund the towing and parking fees for all that were towed,” said Owen. “I feel horrible this happened and I apologize to all involved.”
Owen said those who were towed from the lot should call the store at 210-967-9994 and ask for Mark.
He said they need to see the copy of the towing receipt.
ORIGINAL: After a few hours at the San Antonio Rodeo Barbeque Cook-Off on Saturday, Terri Vasquez said her car was nowhere to be found.
Vasquez said she parked in what she believed was an overflow lot off Interstate 35 that was filling up fast.
“There were about three or four guys that were in here charging for parking,” Vasquez said.
Vasquez said she paid $20 in cash.
“They had a bunch of cars in here,” Vasquez said. “Yeah, it seemed legit.”
The attendants, Vasquez said, handed her a pink sticky note to put in her car.
“When I drove in, I saw all the other vehicles that were parked here that had that on there, so I didn’t think anything of it,” Vasquez said.
When she came back to head home, Vasquez said many cars -- including her own -- were gone.
Vasquez showed KSAT the receipt from the towing company, showing she paid $225 to get her car back.
“I was just, grateful that my car wasn’t stolen or vandalized,” she said. “It could have been a worse situation.”
Vasquez wants her money back and has since filed a claim with San Antonio police.
KSAT called the number on the door of the business where Vasquez parked.
A man who said his business shares the lot told KSAT he had no idea it was being used for profit.
With more rodeo events set to begin over the next few weeks, Vasquez said she hopes her story will save someone from spending more than they should.
“Don’t get scammed,” Vasquez warned. “Maybe looking at the event’s parking and see where the official parking is for [the] rodeo.”
