Seguin – A local food trailer owner is beyond thankful for social media, the Seguin Police Department and the food truck community after they all helped get her stolen trailer back and the suspects arrested.
Becky Preiss, owner of Top Notch Food Diner, said she was in the process of moving when she unhitched the trailer from her truck.
“An employee called and said, ‘Did you move the trailer?’ I said, ‘No,’” Preiss said. “That is when I called San Antonio police, and they were taking hours.”
She said she then noticed the San Antonio Food Truck Association posted her missing trailer on Facebook.
“Everyone started sharing it, and I can’t be more thankful because they were spreading the word quickly,” Preiss said. “I was getting calls and texts from customers who saw my trailer. That is how I knew exactly where my trailer was because the community was sharing pictures of it on the highway. There was a customer telling me, ‘I see your trailer in Seguin, and then they texted me back and said, ‘OK, the cops are chasing it.'”
Seguin Police Chief Terry Nichols said that customer wasn’t the only one trying to help them capture the suspects.
“We got a call from a citizen following what they thought was the stolen truck pulling the food trailer,” Nichols said. “Officers did a traffic stop, and the driver complied, but the passenger jumped in the driver’s seat and took off.”
Nichols later identified the driver who complied as Jose Reyes and the passenger who took police on a 30-minute pursuit as Ricardo Sanchez.
“We had a long pursuit that went on from Seguin all the way to San Antonio, with multiple agencies involved. DPS, us, San Antonio," Nichols said. "The vehicle came to a stop in San Antonio, and the driver fled and had a foot pursuit, but with the help of DPS and SAPD, we captured the suspect.”
Both men were arrested and face multiple charges, including theft of the trailer and the truck they were driving. Nichols also said inside the truck were drugs, stolen identifying information, like several driver’s licenses from different states, and credit cards.
“We definitely believe this was an organized group, so they are in the Guadalupe County Jail, and I don’t think they will be released anytime soon,” Nichols said.
Nichols said there was also a minor accident during the pursuit, but no injuries were reported.
Preiss said she learned exactly where her trailer was and went straight to the crime scene to get it.
“It was at Mile Marker 576. That is my livelihood. I went there, and they were having trouble unhooking it from the stolen truck, so I pulled my redneck tools out, and I took possession of something I worked hard to build," Preiss said. "The support from my customers, community and food truck family brought back to me what these thieves will learn -- never take a food truck. We have each other’s backs.”
Unfortunately, Preiss said damage was done to both the inside and outside of the trailer.
“There is some frame damage. There is AC vent hood damage, the hitch and the jack are messed up,” Preiss said. “I can tell where they kept pulling over to unload some things because the truck they were driving couldn’t pull the weight. My ice chest and all of my expensive drinks are missing. My food and my freezer door are missing. My equipment is unattached and unbolted. Then, I discovered they tried taking the logo sticker off the trailer.”
Preiss said she is typically a strong woman, but seeing her pride and joy damaged makes her emotional.
“I don’t cry, but I don’t think anyone could describe how hard I worked to build this,” Preiss said. “I love taking this to different venues to serve people. I love feeding the workers at SeaWorld twice a year. I love every bit of this.”
“We are just happy we were able to have a small part in getting her trailer back and making her whole again, and hopefully, I look forward to coming down and visiting her food truck one day,” Nichols said. “Social media definitely played a major role in us getting this done. This is just a great representation of a citizen looking out for another citizen."
Preiss said though it will be a long road of repairs, she will forever be thankful for those who helped her, and she will never stop doing the very thing she loves.
“If I have to carry this trailer on my back, we are going to roll,” Preiss said. “We are going to roll, and we are going to serve the community, and we are strong. You can’t take the food truck people down. We are united, and we will stick together. Stop going around stealing people’s things! Get a job!”