Tampa Food Truck Owner Offers $5,000 Reward After Vehicle Stolen From Storage Facility

A Tampa food truck owner is asking the public for help finding his stolen vehicle and is putting up $5,000 of his own money for its return.

Anthony Hill runs Anthony's Perfect Spot, a food truck that sets up at Dallas Bull from Thursday through Saturday. A block of parking spaces at the venue is roped off for the truck each weekend, according to ABC Action News.

Hill said he left the truck at a storage facility on Sunday morning and packed up as he normally does. At about 8 a.m. on Monday, he received a phone call telling him his truck had been used to break out of the unit where it is kept overnight. The facility, Adamo Storage, is a gated property in Tampa.

Hill captured a screen grab from security video that shows someone near the food truck at the facility. He said he could not understand why anyone would single him out. "Who and why and where is it? That was the main thing going through my mind," he said.

Tampa Police said they responded to a delayed report of a food truck stolen from the 4900 block of E. Adamo, with the theft occurring in the early morning hours of Monday, Dec. 11. The department said it has no further update at this time, but detectives are working to gather more evidence and develop leads to locate and recover the vehicle and to identify and arrest the suspect.

Investigators confirmed the truck was taken from Adamo Storage and is likely to have front-end damage and a flat tire. Adamo Storage declined to comment, citing the police department's active investigation.

Hill's family emailed ABC Action News to ask for help getting the word out. Hill said he had seen many social media stories about struggling businesses and people in need, and decided to try the same approach. "I figured I'd give it a try to see what kind of kindness is around," he said.

He stressed how much the truck matters to him. "This is my livelihood," Hill said. "As soon as possible would be preferable because everything is about to fall apart, put it that way." He has also started a GoFundMe campaign to help him get by until the truck is back.

Anyone who has seen the truck or has information that could help the investigation is asked to call the Tampa Police Department's non-emergency line at 813-231-6130.