Detroit chef gets stolen catering van with his picture on it back

DETROIT (WJBK) - A Detroit man's business was put on hold after his van containing all of his supplies was stolen.

But thanks to a watchful neighbor - this story has a happy ending. 

"This is how we survive, and to take my livelihood from me, it's devastating," said Maurice Wallace. "This thing that I built, that I created, in one night, somebody (took) it away."

Wallace's business that he built from nothing for decades disappeared Thursday morning. That was when he looked out the window, noticing his catering van was gone.

He is executive chef and owner of Lone Star Catering in Detroit - and he went from one of the worst moments of his life to one of the best.

Wallace says for the last 10 years he's been parking his custom catering van outside his home on Lemay Street. And inside, over $5,000 worth of equipment.

With a passion for cooking since he was in high school, Wallace says he has events lined up through December.

"I had to figure out how I am going to execute these functions with no van," Wallace said.

He called police and everyone he knows in the area, and even posted his plight on social media. But then he got some good news Thursday afternoon.
 
The owner of Hood's Tire Service on Mack, Eric Hood, spotted the van.

"I look up and I'm like wait a minute 'There goes the van,'" Hood said.

Hood discovered the van parked in a field hidden behind an apartment building on Vernor.

"I see the van, they saw me watching and they took off running," Hoover said. "Thank you."

Hood called Wallace with the good news.

"I said Maurice I found your van," Hood said.

"This is an anti-theft device," Wallace quipped, standing next to the picture of his face on the van. "You can't miss that."

Although the ignition is damaged. all of the equipment inside is still intact.