Residents in a Hollywood neighborhood woke up Sunday morning to find Wilcox Avenue, which is usually packed with cars, completely empty after tow trucks swept through the area ahead of Academy Awards preparations.
“I left the house to go to the grocery store at 7 a.m., and when I got back at 7:30, all the cars on the street were gone,” said Mitchell Crispi, who lives on Wilcox Avenue near Hollywood Boulevard. In a video posted on Instagram, Crispi shows Wilcox Avenue devoid of vehicles. The video also captures a car hooked up to a tow truck and what appears to be its owner running toward the vehicle.
“There were five tow trucks, maybe more, actively towing cars,” Crispi added.
Wilcox Avenue fell within a mile-square security perimeter established around the Dolby Theatre, where the Oscars were being held. The Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) did not comment on why parking restrictions extended as far as a mile from the venue location. But amid the growing war in the Middle East, following attacks on Iran by the U.S. and Israel, security around the awards show was notably tight.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said in a statement before the event that their preparations included “layered security perimeters” and “traffic management plans throughout the Hollywood area.” This involved temporary tow-away signs warning drivers not to stop from 6 a.m. to midnight Sunday, according to signage photographed in the area.
Transportation officials noted that such signs are posted at least 48 hours in advance. However, residents The Times spoke with said they did not notice the signs before leaving their vehicles parked overnight, only to wake up to an empty street.
According to Crispi, street parking is heavily relied upon in the neighborhood because many apartment buildings lack sufficient parking for tenants. “Everyone around here parks on the street,” they said. “There’s just not enough parking for everyone.”
Weekend parking habits may have contributed to the number of cars towed, Crispi added: “It’s the weekend, so a lot of people around here just park their cars in the same spot for the weekend and leave them there.”
Social media users were divided in their opinions on Crispi’s Instagram post. Some argued that the city of Los Angeles should provide free alternate parking options for affected residents. Others believed Hollywood residents should have anticipated such restrictions given their proximity to high-profile events like the Oscars.
After their roommate’s car was towed, Crispi accompanied her to retrieve it from Hollywood Tow Service, where they said the lot appeared unusually busy. “They said they haven’t seen that many people there in one day,” Crispi said.
A rate board posted at Hollywood Tow Service shows a $220 towing fee for vehicles in the city of Los Angeles, along with a $115 city vehicle release fee, plus daily storage costs ranging from $18 to $94 depending on vehicle type. Hollywood Tow provides impound services on behalf of the city.
“Decisions regarding parking restrictions, enforcement activity, and which vehicles are impounded for special events are made by the City,” a spokesperson for Hollywood Tow said in a statement to The Times.
Crispi believes many residents were unaware their cars were at risk of being towed. “I knew people in this area didn’t know they were going to get towed because this lot was empty,” they said, pointing to a nearby parking lot on Wilcox Avenue. “If people knew beforehand, they would’ve parked their cars here,” referring to the parking lot.
Another resident, Chris Bott, questioned why streets farther from the main Oscars venue were included in the enforcement area. “We’re blocks from the Dolby Theatre,” Bott said. “Why is it happening here?”
Bott also witnessed towing activity near the Hollywood Farmers Market on Sunday morning. “We saw someone’s car actively get pulled from the side of the street,” he said.
The office of City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez, whose district includes Hollywood, said it could not comment but was looking into the matter.
The city Department of Transportation reiterated that temporary parking restrictions were posted in advance as part of preparations for the Academy Awards.
“The City issues permits for major events that require road closures, and LADOT posts temporary no parking signs a minimum of 48 hours in advance,” LADOT said. “For the 2026 Academy Awards, LADOT posted signs to restrict parking on certain days to facilitate both event setup and for the awards ceremony.”
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-03-16/they-had-worse-oscars-than-timothee-chalamet-many-have-cars-towed-in-hollywood