FORT WORTH, Texas — It's not the type of beef Panther City is known for.
The Fort Worth barbecue joint is accusing another restaurant of involvement in the theft of a $30,000 mobile barbecue pit trailer earlier this year, alleging the owner of DayBreak Cafe appears aware his property is being used as a transit point for stolen goods.
"It's a disgusting feeling to know that another neighboring business is involved in a theft from us," said Panther City co-owner Chris Magallanes. "I want to see people go to jail."
DayBreak's owner denies the accusation and told WFAA Tuesday he doesn't know who brought Panther City's trailer to the vacant lot next to his café. A Fort Worth Police spokesperson said the department's investigation is ongoing; no charges have been filed.
The fight began on New Year's Day when Magallanes learned someone stole the 8,000-pound trailer, which he found in a vacant lot next to the cafe using GPS trackers. Surveillance video showed a person in a white van towing away the trailer.
But Magallanes was not content to recover his stolen property.
"It's personal," he explained. "Somebody has to pay for this."
He spent weeks surveilling the lot next to DayBreak Cafe and keeping track of the white van, which he said returned multiple times with other trailers, including at least one other reported stolen. He heard from another restaurant, Grease Monkey Burgers in Arlington, which reported a food truck stolen by a similar white van in December.
"I can't just sit by and let that happen," Magallanes said.
Magallanes installed a camera overlooking the vacant lot and said it appeared DayBreak Cafe's owner knew the driver of the van.
The owner, Mario Garcia, said he talks to all his customers -- he doesn't know this man's name. He said he has other business interests and will occasionally buy discount lumber and paint cans and sell them at the flea market, for example. He insists he does not steal.
"If I wanted to steal, I wouldn't be here working from 4:30 in the morning until 6 o'clock at night," he said.
Garcia said he has been in contact with a lawyer and plans to bring a lawsuit against Magallanes.
A Fort Worth Police Department spokesperson declined to say whether Garcia was a suspect, whether FWPD recovered other stolen goods from the location and whether FWPD has seen an increase in reports of stolen trailers. The spokesperson would only say the investigation is ongoing.
"We’re going to be cooking on it. We’re not going to let them scare us from using the thing," Magallanes said.
He plans to put the mobile barbecue pits back into rotation soon and keep the heat on the restaurant he believes is responsible.
"They did mess with the wrong barbecue place, we’re not just going to stand by and take it," he said.