Food vendor's van stolen from East Bay hotel parking lot
PLEASANTON -- Weeks after thieves stole a Bay Area military couple's RV from the Pleasanton DoubleTree parking lot, a beloved kettle corn vendor had his van stolen from the same lot.
"They took everything. They took the vehicle and everything it takes to make money inside the truck," said Ron, the local affectionately known as Suitcase Ron.
He sets up his kettle corn shop right outside Gene's Fine Foods every Friday. That is until his entire livelihood was stolen when he stayed the night at the Pleasanton hotel.
His truck carrying his copper kettle and half ton of corn, his tent, propane and other things he uses to run his business were stolen.
"All the sugar and oil it takes to make kettle corn. And truck itself which I've had since it was brand new tip top shape and now it's gone," said the longtime kettle corn maker.
The truck is a 2001 white Savannah GMC with a "Breaking Bad" sticker on the passenger window. To say Ron and the community are devastated over the theft is an understatement.
"It broke my heart. And my husband is out of town and I told him and he was like, 'No way!' Because he loves the kettle corn," said one Pleasanton resident.
"You could always smell it," said another.
"I was heartbroken for him. It makes us so sad," said Gene's Fine Foods Assistant Manager Meghan Puckett.
His van isn't the first stolen from the lot. It happened to the Lie a family In the same Double Tree parking lot in Pleasanton the beginning of June.
The Lies called their RV "Arby." It was later recovered in Oakland and everything was stolen inside. The family says the RV was stripped of its parts, too.
Ron said he is waiting patiently for his van to be returned.
"I'm kind of waiting for someone to say, 'I give. You can have it back.' But what are the chances of that," said Ron.
Suitcase Ron just hopes he get his truck and valuables back so he can be back in business again soon.
"I have some loyal customers" Ron said. "They come rain or shine."
The community has set up a GoFundMe campaign to help Suitcase Ron.