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TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – A food truck owner preparing for the Tucson Mountain Market discovered thieves had stolen two batteries from her vehicle, leaving her unable to operate during what was expected to be a busy weekend.
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Yamilex Martinez, owner of Wild West Mini Market, said her husband noticed the batteries were missing.
“My husband kinda just went and kinda looked at the, at the food truck, and he’s like, ‘Hey, like the… Something, it, like the battery’s gone,’” Martinez said.
The batteries power the truck. Without them, the business cannot move or operate.
“We had everything planned out. We had, uh, events. We have, you know, we cook the food, we do all these things. And then this kind of sets us back because not everyone has the battery for the truck,” Martinez said.
The theft was not the first time Martinez’s business has been targeted.
She said thieves stole a generator a couple of months ago. It cost her $3,000 to replace it.
“I guess they probably think, like, ‘Oh, they’re a business owner. They can buy it again,’ which is true. But it’s like, God, like, when, when do we get the income? When do we get, you know, when do we get to breathe, right?” Martinez said.
Joe Roos, owner of Spread Them, another vendor at the market, said thefts like this can be devastating for small businesses.
“Something like that could be very damaging and actually could end some of these small businesses,” Roos said.
He said mobile vendors face unique challenges compared to businesses with permanent locations.
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“We have to move things back and forth. Um, and that’s a big thing that a lot of corporations that have brick-and-mortar don’t deal with,” Roos said.
The Tucson Mountain Market gives local businesses on the southwest side a chance to showcase their products. Nearly 60 businesses participate in the market.
Roos said the market is important because of its location.
“There’s nothing like this besides San Xavier Mission that has a night market this far out on the west,” Roos said.
He said vendors at the market support each other, including Martinez, as she works to recoup the losses from the theft.
“Just that caring community of vendors is what our market is about- to help one another,” Roos said.
The Tucson Mountain Market will run every Saturday for the rest of June. You can find exact times on the market’s Facebook page.
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