Resilient food truck owner is back at First Friday after her business was stolen at gunpoint earlier in day

PHOENIX – Just after midnight, two men stole a truck and food trailer in Phoenix while holding the owner at gunpoint. 

Luckily, the truck and trailer were quickly recovered a few hours later by Phoenix Police. 

The food truck is back in business at First Friday after the absolutely harrowing ordeal. 

The owner of Lahotkeria, Simone Gamez Acosta, says she is thankful to be back in business so soon, but it’s been a long, stressful morning, after being held at gunpoint and getting her truck stolen. 

Lahotkeria is a dessert food trailer. They were packing up at an event – minutes away from leaving – when two men approached her around 1:00 a.m. 

“They started saying like, ‘get everything out of your pockets. Give me everything that has value.’ I saw the guy having his gun and started pointing it at me,” Acosta said.

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It all happened on the morning of Oct. 4 near Indian School Road and 67th Avenue.

The men were wearing hoodies and had face covers on. 

“I was like, ‘why are you doing this to me? I have kids, don’t do this to me.’ He said, ‘I have kids too. Just get the (expletive) out of the truck,” she said. 

She was then pulled out of her truck and the two men stole it with her food trailer attached. 

Luckily, her phone was still in the truck, which is how the truck and trailer were found by Phoenix Police with the gun inside. 

“I’m still in shock. I thought it was my last night and I wasn’t going to be able to see my babies anymore,” she said. 

It’s been a long night for her. 

She had to identify her car keys, the suspects, clean up the trailer that was damaged and prepare for First Friday. 

“I understand that times are hard, but also we’re struggling too, and that’s why we have a business to run.” 

Simone says this business is what’s helping her pay for school.