Juan Baltazar grills street corn at his food truck, El Mandilon.
ST. LOUIS 鈥 The owner of a local street corn food truck died when a tree crushed his truck in the city鈥檚 Carondelet neighborhood during Friday鈥檚 storms, family and friends said Saturday.
Juan Baltazar, 48, was a father of seven who hoped to make an impact with his el贸te food truck, El Mandilon, said Nicholas Brown, a friend and the stepfather to one of Baltazar鈥檚 children.
鈥淗e was always quick to give away food or give it away at a discount,鈥 Brown said. 鈥淗e just loved what he did. He loved being around people.鈥
Baltazar, originally from Mexico, worked in construction. But he also had an entrepreneurial spirit, Brown said. He wanted to leave a legacy for his children. So he came up with the idea of a food truck that sold el贸te 鈥 grilled corn on the cob, slathered with mayonnaise and cheese.
Juan Baltazar grills street corn at his food truck, El Mandilon.
Using a small donated trailer and an old oil barrel, Baltazar fashioned a grill and a workstation. Before too long, he was serving up street corn at various local festivals.
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When thieves stole his original trailer, Baltazar was undeterred. He reached out to the public for help, and a local woman donated a new one.
鈥淚t was really taking off,鈥 Brown said. 鈥淗e was really proud.鈥
On Friday afternoon, Baltazar was driving to Brown鈥檚 house to pick up his son for the weekend when the storm blew through and the tree fell. He was one of at least five to die during the storm, officials said.
One of the others, Patricia Penelton, 74, died after part of a church collapsed on her and was also identified by friends and family.
None has been identified by authorities.
A tornado on May 16, 2025 damaged trees and buildings around St. 香港三级片 neighborhoods like the Central West End and Fountain Park, as seen on May 17, 2025.
The news of Baltazar鈥檚 death shook his family.
Three of his children live in the U.S. and four are back in Mexico, but Brown said a day rarely passed where he didn鈥檛 speak to all of them.
He was the life of the party at holidays and vacations. He loved a good joke.
And he had recently bought a home with his wife, a housekeeper at Drury hotels. He was getting ready to celebrate his daughter鈥檚 graduation from kindergarten.
鈥淗e was an amazing dad,鈥 Brown said.
Photos and video: St. 香港三级片ans sort through rubble a day after likely EF-3 tornado ravages area
鈥淚 have never seen anything like this,鈥 said Jerikah McCloud, 23, who looks out from the destroyed second floor of her family home in the 5200 block of Kensington Street on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in the Academy neighborhood.
鈥淢y house is just gone, and it was beautiful,鈥 said Curtis McGrath, who retrieves some personal papers, photos and clothes from his home of 18 years on Enright Avenue on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in the Academy neighborhood. The National Weather Service has confirmed that it was a tornado, possibly an EF-3, that hit St. 香港三级片 the day before.
"My house is just gone and it was beautiful," said Curtis McGrath, who retrieves climbs the stairs to retrieve some photos and clothes from his home of 18 years on Enright Avenue on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in the Academy Neighborhood. Friday afternoon a tornado damaged several neighborhoods across the St. 香港三级片 metro area.
John McCloud clears out his his family home on the 5200 block of Kensington Street on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in the Academy Neighborhood. McCloud has lived there for 24 years.
鈥淚 grew up in this community. People need help and we are helping,鈥 said Cornelius Coleman, who uses a sledge hammer to break apart a tree blocking a resident鈥檚 home on the 5200 block of Enright Avenue on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in the Academy neighborhood of St. 香港三级片.
"This is going to bring St. 香港三级片 together," said Craig Cole Jr., who visits with his friend Tay, who dropped by to see how he was doing on on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in the Fountain Neighborhood. Friday afternoon a tornado completely destroyed Cole's two story duplex along Page Avenue which is reduced to rubble in the background.
"This is a photo of my ex-wife and son. I was hoping to find a photo of my mother," said Curtis McGrath, who was able to retrieve a few personal items from his home of 18 years on Enright Avenue on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in the Academy Neighborhood.
Mariyah Guthrie advertises free drinks and food as she joined her niece Dolly on Saturday, May 16, 2025, in the Academy Neighborhood.
"I had just said a prayer before it happened: Lord, please protect these people, please protect us," said homeowner Stella Hunt, 70, who cleans up her former two-story home along the 4500 block of St. 香港三级片 Place on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in the Greater Ville neighborhood. Hunt has lived the Greater Ville for most of her life.
Adrian Abernethy helps remove a tree that destroyed his neighbor's garage and car on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in the Academy Neighborhood. Friday afternoon a tornado damaged several neighborhoods across the St. 香港三级片 metro area.
Workers tarp the roof of the Memorial Presbyterian Church, in the 200 block of South Skinker Boulevard, near sheared off trees lining the west side of Forest Park, on Saturday, May 17, 2025 after a tornado the day before.
A person inside a car somehow survived a massive oak tree smashing her vehicle as she sat in the 300 block of North Skinker Blvd. near Forest Park Parkway as a tornado ripped through parts of St. 香港三级片 on Friday, May 16, 2025, killing 5, and causing widespread destruction from Clayton to north St. 香港三级片. People out walking in the Parkview neighborhood surveyed the damage on Saturday, May 17, 2025.
A damaged original stained-glass window from 1925 sits inside the Missouri Historical Society Library and Research Center, in the 200 block of South Skinker Blvd. just west of Forest Park, on Saturday, May 17, 2025, after the building was hit by winds from a tornado the day before. Jody Sowell, President and CEO, said no artifacts were damaged in either this building or the Missouri History Museum, both of which had minor roof damage. This building was formerly a synagogue.
A damaged original stained-glass window from 1925 sits inside the Missouri Historical Society Library and Research Center,聽in the 200 block of South Skinker Boulevard聽just west of Forest Park, on Saturday, May 17, 2025, after the building was hit by winds from a tornado the day before. Jody Sowell, President and CEO, said no artifacts were damaged in either this building or the Missouri History Museum, both of which had minor roof damage.
Ryan Green of Rogers Construction helps board up a stained-glass window in the Missouri Historical Society Library and Research Center in the 200 block of South Skinker Boulevard just west of Forest Park on Saturday, May 17, 2025, after a tornado the day before. President and CEO Jody Sowell said no artifacts were damaged in either this building or the Missouri History Museum, both of which had minor roof damage.
"My house is just gone and it was beautiful," said Curtis McGrath, who removes a chests from his home of 18 years on Enright Avenue on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in the Academy Neighborhood. Friday afternoon a tornado damaged several neighborhoods across the St. 香港三级片 metro area.
"My house is just gone and it was beautiful," said Curtis McGrath, who retrieves some personal papers, photos and clothes from his home of 18 years on Enright Avenue on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in the Academy Neighborhood. Friday afternoon a tornado damaged several neighborhoods across the St. 香港三级片 metro area.
