Years of savings disappeared in minutes after a catering trailer was stolen in broad daylight outside a San Antonio business, just before an event.
SAN ANTONIO — A San Antonio family says years of saving and planning vanished in minutes when thieves stole a catering trailer packed with equipment just hours before a scheduled event.
The alleged theft happened around 8:40 a.m. December 28 outside the family’s restaurant, Poloco Snack Bar, located at 5322 San Pedro Avenue. Surveillance video shows a man breaking the lock on the enclosed trailer, pacing back and forth, then hitching it to what appears to be a maroon Ford Expedition before driving away.
Their catering business — not even a year old — is named Boca Santa.
Inside the trailer was the family’s entire catering operation — including a custom hot cart used to cook in front of guests, tables for charcuterie boards and mangonadas and kitchen equipment — worth more than $12,000, according to owner Mireya Hinojosa.
“It was not just catering. It was an experience,” Hinojosa said. “It was us coming and making the event more memorable.”
The family’s idea behind Boca Santa is to include catering and live, interactive food service designed to entertain guests. Their slogan: “Boring parties? Nunca más! We bring the OMG to your night!”
Hinojosa said the family did not have the capital to buy everything at once. Instead, they saved gradually, purchasing each piece of equipment when they could afford it.
“You know how things are right now with the economy,” she said. “We wanted to invest in something else, but we did it little by little.”
The timing of the theft made the loss even harder. The family had an event scheduled for Dec. 29 and was preparing to wash their equipment the day it was stolen. Hinojosa said her husband arrived about 30 minutes after the theft occurred.
“I immediately called the clients who we committed to and said we don’t have the cart, we don’t have our equipment,” Hinojosa said. “We are going to figure it out, and we’re going to keep our word.”
Hinojosa described the theft as heartbreaking and violating.
“Just very sad… To see that someone just comes and takes something you’ve worked so hard for,” she said.
Despite the setback, the family pushed forward with help from neighboring businesses that shared additional surveillance footage, fellow vendors who offered equipment, and an outpouring of support from the community.
“We went to the store, we bought flat tops,” Hinojosa said. “There was a company who sent me a message offering for us to use their cart.”
Hinojosa shared the surveillance video of the theft on the company’s Instagram account, where it has been widely shared. She hopes the video will help identify the suspect or lead to the recovery of the equipment if it is resold online, possibly on platforms like Facebook Marketplace.
Hinojosa said the family is less concerned about recovering the trailer itself than the items inside.
“The trailer doesn’t have a lot of emotional value as the stuff inside,” Hinojosa said. “That’s what we were praying for — that everything would just be left outside the shop.”
As a family of chefs, behind other San Antonio restaurants like Panfila Cantina, Hinojosa said food is deeply personal.
“We are from Mexico, so food is about love,” she said. “We wanted to bring this to people’s homes, to people’s parties — to make people happy and make it a whole experience.”
Though the theft has been discouraging, Hinojosa said the response from the community has helped carry them through.
“It’s been very encouraging to see all the messages and all the reposts,” she said. “You feel the love and support that the San Antonio community has for us, and that’s really beautiful.”
Anyone who recognizes the vehicle seen in the surveillance video or spots the equipment being resold is asked to contact San Antonio police.