A man who was left with a broken nose, a skull fracture and a broken leg after he was beaten at Beach Towing was awarded $975,000 in a lawsuit against the company.

The events that led up to the civil case occurred on February 21, 2003, after Nasseer Idrisi had gone to have a beer with some friends at the Abbey Brewing Co. on 16th Street in Miami Beach. When Idrisi went to find his car on Alton Road, it was missing from its parking spot.

A friend took him to Beach Towing on Dade Boulevard, where Idrisi argued with Manuel Cabrera who was behind the counter. The cursing match escalated when Cabrera came out from behind the counter and punched Idrisi. Cabrera then kicked Idrisi as he writhed on the ground.

The behavior of the Beach Towing employee doesn't surprise me at all. They have always operated their business like a mini-mafia.

I hope that this is a wake-up call to City officials to end their relationship with Beach Towing and find a better solution.

I understand that illegally parked cars need to be towed, but Miami Beach is an international destination, and everyone needs to be treated with respect.

Source: Miami Hearld (registration required)