'I started crying': Milwaukee food truck owner heartbroken after truck was stolen and robbed

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A local food truck owner is heartbroken after he says his truck was stolen and robbed of everything inside.

"It's sad, I don’t know why people do that," said Francisco Ortiz, the owner of Taqueria La Vecindad.

Ortiz says he arrived at his lot along Greenfield Avenue and 38th street on Christmas and discovered his food truck was stolen.

"Oh my God, I started crying," said Ortiz. "I sit on the stairs and grab my head like, I don’t know what to do."

He says he immediately reported it to the police. Then, he began his search and with the help of his friend's drone. The truck was found on the city's north side.

"They sent the drone, and he starts looking and then they saw it a couple blocks away," said Ortiz.

Once he opened the door to the truck, he says he broke down in tears seeing years of his hard work gone. He's spent the last two years doing work on the truck and now one month after its debut, it's ruined. Everything inside was taken the sink, fryer, multiple coolers and more.

"When I see the trucks inside, it gave me depression," said Ortiz.

Estimating up to $30,000 dollars in repairs, he is devastated. He says he relies on his business to support his wife and three kids.

"We work hard like every day," said Ortiz. "It doesn't matter raining, snow, because we need to give some food to our family and someone coming and doing this is not fair."

Ortiz says he plans to work to get the truck up and running again. He started a GoFundMe and said his insurance doesn’t cover the items lost on the inside.

If you have information on this crime, contact the Milwaukee Police Department.