| Koko |
Posted
on 13-Nov-02 09:00 AM
R I C H M O N D, Calif. — Why did the chicken truck leave Thomas Odermatt's parking lot? We may never know.
Police found Odermatt's vehicle — which features a giant fiberglass chicken on top — on Nov. 8, abandoned and defaced along the side of a road.
It had been reported stolen two days before, and police were told to be on the lookout for "a truck with a giant chicken on top," said Sgt. Enos Johnson of the Richmond Police Department.
So far, police have no suspects in the case.
"At this point right now it's still an open case," said Johnson.
"I still don't know if it was someone trying to steal my technique, or if it was just some kids going off on a little joke," Odermatt told the San Francisco Chronicle.
As the owner of the Roli Roti chicken company, Odermatt uses modified Ford Econoline van to rotisserie chickens and sell them at farmers' markets throughout the area.
It had more than 100 cooked chickens inside when it was stolen from the fenced lot behind his office in Richmond. About 10 were missing when the truck was recovered, along with a cash register and a copy of Odermatt's secret chicken recipe.
Odermatt said it appeared that the thief had attempted to ignite the rotisserie cooker, but was thwarted by a secret cutoff switch he had installed.
Despite the damage, Odermatt admitted it could have been worse.
"The fiberglass chicken is still on top," he told the Chronicle. "It appears to be all right. I'm very grateful for that."
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