Starlitha Kelly’s soon-to-open food truck “Vegan Queen” stolen
MILWAUKEE – Thieves stole a Milwaukee woman’s food truck before she could even open it. Now both MPD and the owner are hoping the community can help her get the truck back.
“You can still see the tire tracks from where it was parked,” said Starlitha Kelly, founder and operator of Vegan Queen.
Kelly purchased the food truck in November, investing thousands of dollars in her dream of opening a rolling restaurant.
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“I’ve been vegan for years and always had a dream to bring it back to the community,” she said. “It had a fridge, two food warmers, a stove, a chip rack, sinks. I just had everything I needed to get started.”
Just before Kelly was ready to open Vegan Queen, her business was stolen.
“Everything I dreamed of is over now, and all I have left are these folders,” she said.
According to Milwaukee police, Kelly’s food truck was stolen by thieves just before noon on Monday, August 12. The incident occurred in the area of Ruskin and Lakefield on the southwest side of the city, just a few blocks from the corner of 27th Street and Morgan.
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“I can only imagine people in there touching things and being happy about them and celebrating this great loss for me,” she said.
Not only did she lose all the money she had already spent on equipment and renovations, but Kelly said the business would be her source of income to finish her medical assistant degree. She’s offering even more money to anyone who helps her with that, in the hopes that someone will do the right thing.
“Some kind of reward or compensation so I can get my truck back,” she said. “Someone knows something and knows this is wrong.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the MPD at 414-935-7360; to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS or use the P3 tip app.
