MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Memphis man is hoping someone spots a 22-foot-long, brightly colored seafood truck stolen off a storage facility lot in Oakhaven last month.
Patrick Gatewood said it has been three weeks since he discovered his Madeas & Divas Kitchen food truck missing from its parking spot at Devon Self Storage in the 3500 block of Getwell.
“I wake up every day still thinking my truck is over there. I still can’t believe it,” said Gatewood. “I worked my butt off to get right here. This was blood, sweat, and tears.”
Gatewood said he put over $80,000 into the food truck and was hoping the business would fund his retirement. He said he took the truck all over town, but the vehicle was not insured.
“I don’t know exactly where to start anymore. I mean, that was 15 years of hard-earned money being saved up working as far as trying to get my own thing going,” he said.
Gatewood said he was told someone used his gate code the day the truck was stolen, but he said he never gave anyone the number.
A manager at the self-storage business told police she saw an older woman with short hair near the truck but could not provide them with any surveillance footage.
“We asked about security surveillance, and she said it didn’t go past one week,” said Gatewood.
An employee at the self-storage facility told WREG she could not comment about the theft. Gatewood is asking for the public’s help finding his stolen seafood truck.
“I’ve got a commercial deep freezer for it. Now it’s just sitting in my shed,” said Gatewood. I’m not going to rest one day until I find my truck.”
If you have seen the Madeas & Divas Kitchen truck or have any information that can help investigators call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH.