A popular rodeo announcer has revealed he was the victim of a bizarre prank Friday after his custom truck was taken and left miles away just hours before a scheduled show.<\/p>\n
Texan Anthony Lucia\u00a0said the incident unfolded shortly before he was set to enter the arena at Desert Rodeo in Thermal, California, after attending a pre-show meeting and unloading equipment.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt started out great, got all my stuff done, went to the meeting, had a great meeting,\u201d Lucia said in a video recounting the incident.<\/a><\/p>\n Anthony Lucia\u00a0said the incident unfolded shortly before he was set to enter the arena.<\/p>\n Lucia (pictured with his wife Lisa) and others began searching the area. Facebook\/Anthony Lucia<\/p>\n But when he returned, his truck \u2014 a highly recognizable custom vehicle \u2014 was gone.<\/p>\n \u201cCome out, my truck\u2019s gone. I cannot find it anywhere. Like, I\u2019m looking around asking everybody, nobody\u2019s seen it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Lucia said the truck was easily identifiable and difficult to miss.<\/p>\n Lucia said the truck was easily identifiable and difficult to miss, adding to his confusion when it suddenly disappeared. \u201cMy truck\u2019s a very distinct\u2026 it\u2019s sweet looking. Anyway, it is gone,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The announcer said he initially panicked before using a tracking app to locate the vehicle, which showed it had been moved off-site.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tSign up for the California Morning Report newsletter\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCalifornia’s top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \u201cSo I immediately, like, panicked\u2026 and then I pulled up my app, and I\u2019m like, it\u2019s on Lindbergh Road or something,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Lucia and others began searching the area, driving around nearby roads and even checking locations near the airport before eventually spotting the truck.<\/p>\n The rodeo was packed with social media influencers over the weekend. Instagram\/@isabelalysa<\/p>\n Nothing inside the vehicle appeared to be missing, including valuable rodeo equipment.<\/p>\n \u201cI found a way down a gator, got a golf cart\u2026 get in, and there\u2019s my truck,\u201d he said. Nothing inside the vehicle appeared to be missing, including valuable rodeo equipment.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing was taken out of it. My saddle was there, so somebody played a very ill-timed joke on me, two hours before the rodeo starts,\u201d Lucia said.<\/p>\n Despite the scare, Lucia said he was able to recover the truck in time for the event and continue with his duties.<\/p>\n He added: \u201cAnyways, we\u2019re all good. God\u2019s good\u2026 Off to a great start.\u201d<\/p>\n It remains unclear who moved the truck or how it was taken. No arrests have been reported, and Lucia indicated he believes the incident was a prank rather than a theft.<\/p>\n The rodeo event proceeded as scheduled.<\/p>\n Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters <\/p>\n California Post News: Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, X<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, WhatsApp<\/a>, LinkedIn<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t
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