SAN ANTONIO — A San Antonio mother is putting a face to those impacted by an alleged "food truck scam."
Dozens of small business owners were swindled out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO). That money represents life savings, expansion plans and hopes for the future.
“It’s been difficult because that was all the money I had,” said Rivera. “After my husband died, that left me without work, without a job.”
Rivera told KENS 5 her husband was killed in June of 2022. She was looking for a way to support her family by starting a small business with his life insurance money. Rivera planned to open a food truck, which would have been named in her late husband’s honor.
She found Tu Trailita on Facebook and said their reviews were good. So, she bought a custom trailer in October.
Rivera provided the invoice to KENS 5 showing her $10,000 deposit. She claims weeks went by with no updates. When Rivera tried to get ahold of the company, she said she was ignored. Around the same time, Rivera says others started sharing similar concerns online.
“Most of the victims are immigrants,” she said. “There are victims in New York, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Kansas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio.”
According to Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, 35 victims have come forward saying they forked over a total of $225,000. However, investigators believe the amount stolen could reach $400,000.
“I couldn’t buy my children Christmas presents,” said Rivera. “My daughter went to a friend’s house and came back and told me they had Christmas gifts. I felt so bad because I couldn’t buy gifts for my kids.”
Deputies re-arrested the owner of Tu Trailita, 57-year-old Miguel Cuellar Lopez, on new charges this week. Sales associate, 39-year-old Omar Cruz, was also taken into custody.
Lopez’s son, 32-year-old Miguel Cuellar Martinez, is wanted by police. Authorities believe he is in Mexico.
Rivera just wants her money back, but admits that probably won’t happen.
“Our money is paying for their freedom and that’s not right,” she said. “They are using it to bond out of jail.”
If you believe you’ve been scammed by Tu Trailita, call BCSO at 210-335-6000.