Deaf-owned BBQ truck stolen in Austin
Roy Lotz, A Deaf Austin man who owns a BBQ business called “Lotz of BBQ,” had his food truck stolen from a parking lot in the early morning on December 26.
[Video clips - CREDIT: Ghostline Kitchen]
Roy Lotz: I actually had no idea. I was at home with my family. That morning, it was lucky how I just thought that I should stop by the trailer parking lot at Ghostline Kitchen. I wanted to return something to the store. When I arrived, there was no trailer. I was confused at first then it hit me that the trailer was gone. I went into the Ghostline office and they immediately looked at the surveillance video. They saw that the theft was at 12:38 a.m. The suspects went there twice. They may have left to get a different trailer hitch and when they returned 10 minutes later, they stole it. My heart was broken.
[Video clips - CREDIT: Ghostline Kitchen]
Lotz: I reached out to the Austin Police Department and filed a report. Right now, there are no suspects identified. We tried looking up close in the video but we weren’t able to read the license plate. Right now, we don’t have luck with clues.
Alex: When I watched surveillance video, it seemed like the suspects were using some signs. It’s not clear if they were signing or just motioning to position the truck and its tow hitch. I asked Lotz about whether he thought the suspects were signing.
[Video clips - CREDIT: Ghostline Kitchen]
Lotz: Yes, when my friend and I looked at the videos, we saw some signs and body language. You know how Deaf people act. The Deaf community is small so if you recognize the people in the video, please reach out. It is possible that the suspects are Deaf but I don’t want to accuse anyone.
[Video clips - CREDIT: Ghostline Kitchen]
Lotz: It’s definitely a huge impact. The trailer is covered by insurance, but it’s not that much. It covers the value of the trailer but there are other things and cooking equipment, such as a warming container and a new refrigerator. It easily cost me 15 to 20 grand. I still owe on the loan for the trailer. It’s an overwhelming amount of money. It’s easily tens of thousands of dollars out of my pocket that I will have to save up to recoup and it’ll take a lot of time.
Alex: There is a GoFundMe to support Lotz and his business through this difficult time. He said he is still doing catering services because he still has his other BBQ grill and he’s able to travel nationwide to do services as he’s done it before for special events at Gallaudet University and for the premiere of “Jesus: A Deaf Missions Film.” If you want to reach out, he has a website and social media pages.
Our hearts go out to Roy Lotz and his family during this time. He started his business in 2015 and he’s determined to rise above this setback.
https://www.fox7austin.com/news/lotz-of-bbq-food-truck-stolen-southeast-austin-ghostline-kitchens
https://www.gofundme.com/f/roys-bbq-trailer-stolen-on-christmas-night
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[Sponsored video from Convo: www.convorelay.com]
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