Milwaukee food truck back in business after it was stolen, vandalized

MILWAUKEE – Robbed, ransacked, and now restored. A Milwaukee food truck is back in business after a group of thieves stole and vandalized it on Christmas Eve.

And the owner says it was the community that came to his rescue.

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The difference is night and day since the last time Francisco Ortiz spoke with FOX6.

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“Now, I’m happy. I can smile, I can say ‘wow, I can’t believe it,’” Ortiz said.

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The backstory:

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FOX6 last saw Ortiz at the end of December when he showed his hallowed food truck Taqueria la Vecindad.

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He said just days prior, on Christmas Eve, thieves stole the truck and left the business bare.

“I started crying,” he said back in December.

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Back in Business:

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Now less than two months later, Ortiz says he’s now crying tears of joy. His truck is now back, and business is heating up.

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Ortiz says the GoFundMe he created after the theft blew up.

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He said a flurry of donations came rolling in, rendering him speechless.

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“All those people, they helped me a lot. They made my day, they made my life. I survived,” said Ortiz.

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He also says a friend in Racine took time off work to help restore the truck.

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“The flat top, we got the new fryer,” he said.

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They were able to replace most of the necessities that fuel his livelihood.

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What’s next:

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He says there’s still a little more to do.

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Ortiz says he hasn’t gotten an update on the vandals who stole the truck, but the most important thing to him is to have it back and running on Milwaukee’s south side.

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“Today I feel thankful and happy,” he added, wanting the community to know he’s grateful.

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