Phoenix man rents car out through app, renter arrested by border patrol

PHOENIX - A Phoenix man says the story of the car he rented through a popular app has taken a strange turn. The renter was arrested by border patrol and the car is still impounded with the owner trying any and everything to get it back. 

The car's owner syas he thinks this is a case of human trafficking. Now his vehicle is tied up in something he had nothing to do with.

Feliciano Montoya is a power host with the app Turo. If you're unfamiliar, it's like an Airbnb for cars. Hosts can rent out their cars for fees. He rented out his Volkswagen Atlas this past weekend, but it wasn't the typical exchange. He found out the renter was stopped at a border patrol checkpoint and was arrested, but then he tried to get the car back.

"[My car] was due back on Monday at 9 a.m. and it didn't come back," Montoya said. "The car was located at the Wilcox border patrol facility. I made a phone call there and I said, 'Hey, my car's in your lot, can I gome get it?' [and] they didn't confirm or deny they had it and he said, 'If we did have it, not saying we do, you can't come get it.'"

Customs and Border Patrol confirmed to us the driver of the car was arrested — but wouldn't say what for. 

Montoya's car GPS says his car is now in Tucson. he was told that if it was a rental car from a bigger company, circumstances would be different.

"I was told through the Wilcox border patrol station supervisor if this would have been a big rental car company, Hertz, Avis, Uhaul, they would've made a phone call to Hertz and they would've been given the opportunity to come pick up their car," Montoya said.

Montoya said he just wants his car back.

"I think it's very unfair," Montoya said. "It's one of those things where it just doesn't feel right."

Turo says they're investigating the case and they're working with Montoya. They say incidents like this aren't common, but the host is covered under their insurance policy.