Thieves Targeting Food Trucks In Northwest Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, NC. — Thieves appear to be targeting food trucks in northwest Charlotte. Owners are left with a lot of questions after thousands of dollars worth of generators were stolen from their property.

Now, these food truck owners are left with no way to operate their businesses. The owner believes the perps are targeting other food trucks in Charlotte, as well.

“We have three small children at the end of the day too. You know I got mouths to feed, I have employees who have mouths to feed. It’s taking away from everyone,” says food truck owner Julie Tang.

She can’t operate her food truck without a generator, and Wednesday night it was stolen. It was worth over $4,000 according to the police report.

Tang says this is the third time in the past four months this has happened to her.

“We cannot afford it at this point to keep going out and putting it onto our credit card. It’s just not feasible for us.”

She says last night, the thieves got away with another food truck’s generator too.

“This hasn’t been just like an isolated incident. This has been an incident that has happened to many food truck owners.”

She doesn’t want to share the name of her food truck, but she keeps it at a commissary. It’s a commercial kitchen where food truckers can go to prepare and store food.

“They cut the locks, they actually, I believe they connected a chain to a car and pulled the fence doors open. They sawed or tried to cut the locks,” says Kitchen Manager at a commissary Sonya Stowe.

Stowe says they are working with police. She has a message for the thieves.

“Get a job and really just stop taking from people who work really hard.”

Meanwhile, Tang says this is an ongoing problem in the food truck community. and possibly at other commissaries throughout Charlotte.

“I could be a victim today and if I don’t speak up for the food truck community, someone else is going to be a victim tomorrow,” says Tang.