UPDATE | Tuesday, 4:47 p.m. — The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said that they believe the stolen Mile Hi island Grill food truck is in Wyoming.
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JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — A Hawaii native took a leap of faith after quitting his career to open up a food truck, but his livelihood is now in jeopardy after someone stole his trailer.
Shaun Frederick owns Mile Hi Island Grill. The food truck serves Hawaiian cuisine he learned to make back home on the island. It's named after the Mile High City and Hawaii's state abbreviation.
He quit his career of nearly 13 years in the federal prison system in January 2020 to focus on living his dream.
Because of the pandemic, and the need for a custom-built trailer that fits his 6-foot-8-inch stature, his first event wasn't until Mother's Day this year.
"We did our grand opening at Green Mountain Brewery, and God bless their soul for letting us do it there," Frederick said.
He said the truck has been a hit, and he and his family were booked out until New Year's with events.
"That's our livelihood now," he said. "That was the leap of faith we took, and that was our dream because it gives us time with our family."
But he had to start canceling events this weekend because early Saturday morning someone stole his trailer parked at the front of his home near W. Euclid Place and W. Coal Mine Avenue in Littleton.
"I just broke down because we worked so hard to get it," Frederick said. "It's hard because this was feeding my family."
A new trailer will cost him between $60,000 and $80,000 since it must be custom-built.
HOW TO HELP: To help Shaun through Denver7 Gives, click here and choose “Help Shaun Replace Stolen Food Trailer” from the drop down menu.
"Grandma has told me if something is stolen from you, that person might have needed it more than you, but at the same token, I needed it to take care of my family," he said.
In the meantime, he hopes to do catering gigs while cooking out of a commercial kitchen at a church until the trailer is found or he's able to get a new one.
"Just keep driving around. Just maybe one day we'll see the trailer again," he said.
Frederick says he filed a report with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. If you spot it, call 911 or Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP.
