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Popular Fort Worth BBQ joint says police got the guy who stole $30k trailer

The owner Panther City Barbecue says video shows the owner of another Fort Worth restaurant involved in the theft.

FORT WORTH, Texas — An arrest hasn't stopped the beef. 

The co-owner of Panther City Barbecue said he's while convinced police have arrested the guy who stole his $30 thousand mobile barbecue pit trailer from the business on New Year's Day, he's still sure another Fort Worth restaurant is in on it.

Police haven't formally brought charges in Chris Magallanes' case yet, but he says the video shows the suspect in jail is tied to other thefts too. 

"Even though we know beyond a shadow of a doubt, it all counts when it comes to the courtroom and that’s where police say they don’t have enough right now," said Magallanes.

Watch the full interview with Chris Magallanes here:

This week, Fort Worth Police arrested Arnulfo Rodriguez and charged him with stealing a different trailer from an electrical business in October. He remained in the Tarrant County jail Friday. 

The distinctive white van Magallanes said he caught on video stealing from his business ties Rodriquez to the October theft -- and several others, an arrest warrant indicated. 

The warrant said the van caught on camera in October "was the same van used to take the Panther City BBQ trailer." It was also tied to two other thefts within the south division of the Fort Worth Department, the document said. 

Magallanes believes surveillance video also ties the van to another theft from a burger joint in Arlington -- and he said he's not giving up in trying to get more charges filed against Rodriguez, though he's since recovered his trailer. 

"Barbecue is my livelihood, they took my pit, they took my main tool that I use to feed people," Magallanes said. "The main tool that I use to pay my bills, the main tool that my employees use to pay their bills. It was personal."

He claimed the same van appeared multiple times at Daybreak Cafe, a restaurant on the other side of the city, and said a video he took there showed the owner interacting with the driver of the van. 

Mario Garcia, the owner of Daybreak Cafe, denied knowing anything about the thefts. He declined to comment on Thursday.

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