Chicago-area business owner hit with $2,150 towing bill after stolen trailer recovered

WILMETTE - A suburban Chicago landscaping business owner who lost tens of thousands of dollars in equipment to thieves says recovering his stolen trailer came with another unexpected financial blow: a $2,150 towing bill.

But the owner of the towing company says there's more to the story, explaining that the trailer was found in difficult conditions, required additional recovery assistance and that he has since offered the business owner a full refund.

Now, the dispute is raising questions about the cost of recovering stolen property and the financial burden placed on crime victims.

Surveillance video captures trailer theft

The backstory:

It happened on August 18, 2026, at approximately 10:26 p.m.

Surveillance video shows a pickup truck pulling away from a Wilmette parking lot with a trailer belonging to Rafael Villanueva, owner of Touch of Life LLC.

Villanueva says the trailer was secured with locks and a device between its tires, but thieves managed to defeat those security measures.

"We usually put locks on the front and we put like a bolt on the tires between the tires and they torch down the one on the tire in order for them to take the trailer," Villanueva told FOX Chicago.

Inside the trailer were the tools he relied on to operate his landscaping business, including lawnmowers, chainsaws, drills and trimmers.

Records reviewed by FOX Chicago show Villanueva spent more than $21,000 on equipment during March and April 2024.

He estimates the total value of his stolen equipment at $50,000.

Villanueva also claims two other trailers were stolen from the area.

"They took two more trailers back from back there… mine was the last one to be taken," he said.

Stolen trailer recovered, but equipment missing

Investigators used Flock license plate reader cameras as part of their investigation into the theft.

On September 3, more than two weeks after the trailer disappeared, it was recovered in Calumet City.

But nearly all the equipment inside was gone.

The following day, Villanueva went to Wes's Service, Inc., a towing and recovery company in Calumet City, to retrieve what remained of his property.

That's when he says he was stunned by the bill.

"It was $2,150 in order to me to recover my own trailer. And my trailer was empty," Villanueva said.

FOX Chicago reviewed the invoice, which included:

Villanueva estimates the trailer was recovered approximately six minutes from the towing company's location.

"They charged me $1,800 just for picking up the trailer," he said.

The invoice lists no separate mileage charge, but that alone does not establish whether the overall towing fee was appropriate.

Towing company owner explains hefty bill, offers full refund

The owner of Wes's Towing Service, Inc. tells FOX Chicago there's an explanation for the substantial recovery charge.

He says the trailer was found in thick brush, covered by other stolen equipment and missing its tires.

According to the owner, the conditions made the recovery more complicated than a standard tow, requiring a second company to assist in pulling the trailer out.

He says the difficult recovery and additional assistance explain the hefty bill.

The owner also tells FOX Chicago he offered Villanueva a full refund of the towing charges, but says Villanueva declined.

He says the refund offer remains on the table

The towing company's account provides additional context for the charges, although FOX Chicago has not independently established the precise recovery costs or whether the invoice was consistent with any applicable municipal towing rate schedule.

The competing accounts highlight a central question: How are recovery fees determined when stolen property is found under difficult circumstances, and what options do crime victims have when they dispute those charges?

Business owner says insurance payout wasn't enough

For Villanueva, the towing bill was only part of a much larger financial setback.

He says he filed an insurance claim with Progressive for nearly $50,000 in stolen equipment but received $10,000.

Without the machinery needed to complete jobs, Villanueva says he lost business and was forced to use his savings to replace equipment and continue paying employees.

"Whatever savings I had, I had to take them out in order for me to start all over to buy all my machines, my equipment, start paying my guys again," he said.

Villanueva says the theft has threatened the business he built to provide for his family.

"We do a lot of hardscape, we do fences, we do a lot of brick patios, we cut trees, and we do lawn maintenance," he said. "That's what I support my family."

Villanueva launches GoFundMe to replace stolen equipment

As he works to rebuild, Villanueva is turning to the community for help.

He launched a fundraiser titled "Help Touch of Life LLC Replace Stolen Equipment," with a $6,000 fundraising goal.

According to the fundraiser, Villanueva began working in landscaping as a teenager and eventually built his business with an old truck and a lawnmower.

Now, he's hoping donations will help him purchase replacement tools and machinery so he can continue serving customers and supporting his family.

A costly recovery and questions about accountability

Villanueva's ordeal began with a trailer theft caught on surveillance video and escalated into a financial struggle to keep his business running.

While he questions the $2,150 charge to recover his trailer, Wes's Towing Service, Inc. maintains that the difficult recovery conditions justified the bill and says a full refund remains available.

WilmetteNews