Tow truck driver shot and killed while repossessing a ‘$500 car’ in Lake Dallas

Tow truck driver Zach Johnson had been on the job only three weeks before he was killed trying to repossess a car early Monday morning in Lake Dallas.

“A $500 car. It was literally a 2003 Nissan model car,” Texas Auto Towing Service owner Joe Baker told KXAS-TV (NBC5).

Johnson, 24, was killed around 1 a.m. while he was repossessing a car at the Best Western Inn & Suites on Swisher Road in Lake Dallas.

Barry DeGeorge
Barry DeGeorge(Denton County Jail)
Barry DeGeorge, 37, faces a murder charge and is being held on $500,000 bail, according to Denton County Jail records.

Baker, whose business is in Sanger, told NBC5 he hired Johnson about three weeks ago.

“This is the very first person I’ve ever lost,” he said.

According to police, DeGeorge opened fire on Johnson after he had secured the vehicle and was about to drive off.

Johnson died at Medical City Denton, police said.