AUSTIN, Texas — The owner of an Austin-area food truck has been reunited with his trailer after thieves stole it right after Christmas.
Two men stole the Lotz BBQ trailer from the Ghostline Kitchens parking lot on Comsouth Drive on Dec. 26, 2024.
“I was thrilled,” owner Roy Lotz said. “I just imagined being able to serve the community, serve barbecue again, and then give back to all the people who supported me. I’m truly thrilled. It gave me goosebumps.”
Lotz said someone messaged him late last week with information about the trailer’s location. He immediately passed the information on to Austin police.
Austin police said they got an anonymous tip about where the stolen trailer was just before 11:30 p.m. last Friday. About 50 minutes later, Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office deputies found and recovered the stolen trailer at a home in Elgin.
“As soon as they even sent me a picture, I said, ‘Oh yes, that’s my truck,'” Lotz said.
Lotz said he worked hard for a decade to save enough money to open his dream barbecue truck. That dream was snatched by two men caught on surveillance video casing the parking lot before returning in a green truck, hitching the trailer and driving off.
“I thought that because it’s a generic food trailer, the community wouldn’t be able to get it back – I wouldn’t have that chance. I just had to own that. I had hope, of course,” Lotz said. “It was difficult. I did struggle with the mental health aspect of that. That was one of the hardest moments I’ve ever experienced, but the fact that we got it back, it’s just such a feeling of relief.”
The trailer has been stripped of its black vinyl wrap reading “Lotz of BBQ” and no longer has a license plate, so Austin police said they had to use a VIN to confirm the trailer’s identity.
“There was a lot of damage to the outside, and then on the inside of the trailer, my refrigerator, my warmers, my oven, everything had fallen over, and there were some dents and everything,” Lotz said.
For Lotz, seeing things carelessly tossed around and damaged was hard.
“It was a disgusting feeling. I felt violated. That feels like my home. It was very sad,” he said. “I just felt sick to my stomach. It was gross. It felt like the thieves were in there. They had touched everything.”
It’s not the first time Lotz had to deal with loss. A few days before the food truck was stolen, someone also stole two generators from him.
“It needs a lot of repairs to the equipment inside. I’ll need to replace some of the knobs that have been broken if they can even be fixed,” Lotz said. “The brake line that is supposed to be there to lock it to the truck was cut off. It looked like several pieces were cut so they could have their own brake locks because I had a brake lock on it. They had to cut that to steal it.”
Lotz is now left trying to figure out how to support his family, which includes his 1-year-old son. A GoFundMe to support Lotz and his family as they try to get back on their feet has raised more than $34,000. That money will help Lotz repair what he can and replace what he needs to as he looks to get his food trailer back up and running.
“The generator was expensive, the wiring being able to repair all of that, it’s a long list,” he said. “The warmer itself is expensive. Those are typically $8,000 to $10,000.”
With the trailer back, Lotz said he can return to serving barbecue. He expects repairs to take a few months, and while it is in the shop, he plans to do popup events and cater for events.
Lotz said he is thankful to everyone in the community who helped locate his trailer.
“It makes me feel hopeful again. It makes me feel proud,” he said. “The community has my back, and now I can serve that community here in Austin. It feels so great.”
Bastrop County deputies did not find anyone at the property where they recovered the stolen trailer. On Tuesday, Austin police told KVUE they have not made any arrests or identified any suspects. They are still actively investigating the theft.
Police said the suspect truck appeared to be a dark green Ford F-150 extended cab model from the early 2000s with gold or tan trim. There is an up to $1,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest.
Police ask anyone with information to contact their auto theft unit at 512-974-5265. You can also submit tips anonymously to the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program online or by calling 512-472-8477.