Lotz of BBQ food truck reunited with its owner after being stolen in SE Austin

AUSTIN, Texas - A BBQ food truck has been reunited with its owner after it was stolen the morning after Christmas.

Roy Lotz, owner of Lotz of BBQ, did not think he would ever see his food truck again and said, "It was a surreal moment; I'm like, 'is this really happening?'" 

However, all thanks to the community for sharing the story on social media, an anonymous tip led Lotz to be reunited with his property. 

"We confirmed that it was in fact my trailer," said Lotz. "I mean, even though right now it's stripped, I know it by heart." 

RELATED: Lotz of BBQ food truck stolen from SE Austin parking lot

When FOX 7 initially spoke to Lotz, he had just started a GoFundMe account, unsure of how he would support his family after his livelihood and everything in it was stolen from him. One week later, he had raised more than $33,000 in donations. 

"I just thought maybe I'd get a little bit, maybe anything would help," said Lotz. "But wow, $33,000, I'm just so inspired. It makes me think that people do believe in me and I can bounce back." 

Although the trailer has been found, it does not look the same. 

"A lot of things are missing from the inside. They did a lot of damage," said Lotz. "The brake wiring for the brakes were cut." 

Lotz said it would take him a couple of months to make the repairs. In the meantime, he plans to utilize his smoker, attend popup events, and do catering jobs until his trailer is out of the shop. 

"I'm going to use this money to get the equipment that I need to replace on the inside, the new wrap, a new generator. Two of the generators are missing," said Lotz. "I've got to buy a lot of things that are missing and fix up the trailer."

Thankfully, he has the money to get it all done. 

However, the police have still not caught the people who stole the truck. There is a reward of $1,000 for any information leading to an arrest. The vehicle that hauled off the food truck was caught on security video. It was an early 2000s model, dark-green Ford F-150 with a gold/tan trim extended cab pickup truck. 

If you would like to help the Lotz family, here is a link to their GoFundMe page.