MILWAUKEE — The holiday week has been dreary for Francisco Ortiz, who has owned Taqueria la Vecindad for years.
When he came by his south side lot on Christmas morning, something was missing.
"I got here Wednesday around 1:30 pm, Two O'Clock, I didn't see the truck here," Ortiz told TMJ4. "I called my guy and said, "Hey, Where's the Truck?"
Ortiz had just debuted his brand new truck after working on it for two years. In less than a month it had been stolen.
"I sat down on the stairs and crossed my arms and I started crying," Ortiz said. "This is my work, this is everything for me. So I feel my heart broke."
Ortiz's wife quickly posted about it on Facebook asking for help, and people from all across the city responded.
Watch: Food truck owner is devastated after his truck was stolen then found burglarized
With the help of a friend's drone, Ortiz was able to spot his truck all the way on the city's north side near 24th and Hopkins.
Ortiz alerted the police, and when they looked inside things were missing.
The steering column was broken into, the cash register was missing, and the sink, multiple coolers, and even the fryer were all stolen.
The damage left Ortiz with a huge bill, without a way to use the truck to make money.
He estimates it will cost over $30,000.
The Ortiz family hopes they can get that money through this GoFundMe.
As the family business has taken a hit, Ortiz is still lost wondering why someone would do this to him.
"I don't know why this happened, this thing to our own people," Ortiz told TMJ4. "Work hard every day man. I'm thankful to god because I have a life, I have a good wife and good kids, that's all I have, that's all I need."
Milwaukee Police tell TMJ4 they are looking for suspects. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Milwaukee Police at (414) 935-7222 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (414) 224-Tips or P3 Tips.
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