MOLINE, Ill. — A Moline-based food truck fell victim to another catalytic converter theft.
Divine Soul2Soul catering food truck owner, Phyllis Harris, walked out of her home to start the engine of her food truck.
"It was like this loud boom," Harris said, describing the sound the truck made after turning it on. "I happened to contact a mobile mechanic to see what was going on. He came out on Friday and he knew right away, he got under there."
The catalytic converter had been cut out from the bottom of the truck. The truck was on her property and parked just two feet away from her home garage.
"It's not safe, you know, to think someone is creeping around your property," Harris said.
The converter will take roughly $700 to replace. But, Harris invested in this truck two years ago and said the expenses of running a small business are adding up fast.
"I have to shop on a budget," Harris said. "Between food and gas and going to the stores. Most people will pick up (the food), you know, but I have to drive it and deliver it."
Besides securing the funding for the replacement, Harris is concerned that once it is replaced, the thief will come back and take it again.
"It's going to leave us not being able to operate. It's going to put a strain on us financially," Harris said. "We all know these days it is already some trying times, but it's just so disheartening. It really broke me down mentally to think that someone would come on the property and do this, or just to think that they're doing this and there's no way to catch them."
Harris hopes to have a replacement before the summer food truck season. If not, she will consider other options like a mobile food cart.