Tacoma food truck stolen, forces owner to temporarily halt business

TACOMA, Wash. — A Tacoma food truck was stolen in broad daylight and now the owner is forced to temporarily halt his business as he searches for answers.

Terry Hates, the owner of The Man BBQ, returned home from vacation to find his food truck gone.

“I was devastated,” he said. “I feel like I take one step forward, I take two steps back.”

Surveillance video at the Dryer Masonic Center, located on 134th Street, captured two thieves stealing the food truck parked outside on Oct. 22.

The thieves arrived in a white truck and were able to get inside Hayes’ vehicle and drive off within minutes.

Several months prior, Hayes said his kitchen, where he preps his food, had caught fire, destroying $30,000 worth of equipment.

The cause had not been determined, he said.

Hayes said the food truck cost him around $50,000, along with tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment inside.

The owner has already filed an insurance claim, but he’s not sure if the payout will cover the cost of his property and the loss of revenue, he said.

“They’re probably going to give me the value of the truck and not the value of the equipment in the truck,” he said.

“I’m losing about 20 thousand dollars average per month,” he added. “It’s kind of depressing.”

The stolen food truck not only hurts his business, he said, but it also affects his ability to help people experiencing homelessness in the community.

Betty Brown, a customer, said the recent incident is part of a bigger issue in the area.

“Oh, I’m just sick about it because Terry does do a lot of good. He helps the homeless people; he feeds all kinds of groups. Yeah, it’s just a shame. It shouldn’t have to be like that,” she shared.

However, Hayes, an army veteran, said he’s not giving up hope.

“You want to give up, but you know if you do, then you lost forever, so I keep moving forward,” he shared.

KIRO 7 News reached out to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, who Hayes said he had filed a report with.

We’re still waiting to hear back for more details, including information about the thieves.

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