A well-known rodeo announcer shared on Friday that he fell victim to a peculiar prank when his customized truck was taken just hours before a scheduled show and later discovered several miles away.
Anthony Lucia, from Texas, described the event occurring right before he was set to enter the rodeo arena in Thermal, California, after finishing up a pre-show meeting and unloading equipment.
“Everything was going smoothly; we wrapped up our tasks, had productive meetings,” Lucia mentioned in a video about the incident.
However, upon returning to his spot, he found his truck—an eye-catching custom vehicle—was gone.
“I came out and realized my truck was missing. I was searching everywhere and asking people, but no one seemed to care,” he recounted.
Lucia noted that the sudden loss was especially baffling, as his truck is quite distinctive. “It’s not something you can easily overlook. It’s very nice… and now it’s just gone,” he expressed.
A moment of panic ensued until they used a tracking app, which indicated the vehicle had been moved elsewhere.
“I was in a bit of a frenzy and pulled up the app, seeing it was near Lindbergh Road,” he explained.
He and his colleagues began a frantic search, cruising around nearby streets and scouting locations near the airport. Eventually, they located the truck.
“I ended up hopping on a golf cart and there it was,” he said, relieved. Thankfully, nothing appeared missing from the truck, including his important rodeo gear.
“Nothing was stolen. My saddle was still there, so it seems someone decided to play a rather poorly timed joke on me just two hours before the rodeo started,” Lucia added.
Despite the initial anxiety, Lucia managed to get the truck back and continue his work just in time for the event.
“Anyway, we’re all good. God is good… and we’re off to a great start,” he concluded.
It remains unclear who was responsible for moving the truck or how it was taken. No arrests have been reported, and Lucia considers the incident to be a prank rather than a theft.
The rodeo proceeded as planned.
