TORRANCE, Calif. (KNX) — The owner of a car allegedly painted with a swastika by two former Torrance police officers is suing the city for $6 million in damages.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in federal court, alleged Van Lingen Towing conspired with police so that the plaintiff, Kiley Swaine, would not discover the graffiti until after a one-year statute of limitations had expired.
Former police officers Corey Weldin and Christopher Tomsic are facing criminal charges of conspiracy and vandalism for allegedly spray-painting the Nazi symbol and a smiley face inside Swaine’s car.
The plaintiff was arrested in Jan. 2020 on suspicion of stealing mail from a Torrance apartment complex. He was detained overnight and released the next day, with no charges filed. His car, however, was impounded. He learned of the vandalism when he went to the tow yard to collect the vehicle two days later.
Though the tow yard paid the cost of repairing damage to the car, Swaine said he was led to believe by the company that the vandalism was committed by a truck driver. Swaine’s attorney has alleged the company wanted to preserve a contract with the city by shielding the officers.
Eventually, a tow truck driver who was questioned by police admitted he saw Tomsic spray painting the outside of Swaine’s car. The driver also received a text message from Weldin apologizing for the vandalism, according to court filings.
When investigators searched Weldin’s phone, they reportedly found racist and homophobic text messages. More than a dozen officers have been suspended in connection with those messages.
Swaine has named the city of Torrance, Weldin, and Tomsic in the suit, seeking $3 million in compensatory damages and another $3 million in punitive damages.
State and local investigations are continuing into allegedly racist and homophobic conduct by Torrance police officers.
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