AUSTIN, Texas – The owner of an East Austin food truck is trying to recover from a spree of break-ins. Two people were caught on camera breaking into the food truck and stealing many items.
A video captured two people breaking into the Vegan Nom Food Park on Cesar Chavez Street around 3 a.m. on Monday, August 12.
“They were pretty motivated predators,” said Chris Rios, owner of The Vegan Nom food park.
They ignored the alarm system and the cameras on their ceiling.
“They have actually prevented many robberies that could have happened. It’s just this one incident,” Rios said.
VIDEO: 2 people break into food park in Austin
Two people are seen breaking into the Vegan Nom Food Park in East Austin.
The two individuals broke down the doors of three food trucks – The Vegan Nom, Nom Burgers and Ghoul Coffee Company – and took whatever they could find.
“I am disappointed that in order to survive, a person has to go to the extent of opening a small business to eat or drink or do whatever is necessary to survive,” Rios said.
Rios said they stole electronics and about $700 and damaged windows and doors.
“Right now, we just need as much support as possible to keep moving forward and get through this time,” Rios said.
Rios said the last few times have been tough.
“Once the temperatures reach 40 or 38 degrees, it’s much harder for people to visit the food park. When that happens and the mood is a little low, you think, oh God, I can’t believe it, we’ve just been hit hard, and some of us are actually suffering loss and damage, and it’s costing us money,” Rios said.
This isn’t the first time they’ve been targeted by burglars. Rios said they’ve been burglarized at least 20 times since 2017. He said in the past, Austin police have responded quickly and even caught several people. Rios said this time is different.
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“This is the first time I’ve actually had a service number and not a case number yet. I’m not sure what’s going on with APD. I’m not complaining about it, but it’s just one of those things that’s concerning for a small business,” Rios said.
Rios said he received support from the community after posting the incident on social media.
“There are still hundreds of people out there caring for every second person. I think that says a lot about what our community is about,” Rios said.
Rios said small businesses are what make Austin, Austin, so if you have a favorite, keep supporting it.
