$10,000 asphalt business trailer stolen

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Wes Traxler is furious for good reason.

"I hope you're caught," he said. "I think you're the scum of the earth."

Traxler of Pontiac has strong words for whoever stole his roughly asphalt seal coating trailer - worth about $10,000.

"It's our first year in business," he said. "We've done well with it, we're going to continue to do fantastic work for people but it would sure help to have our equipment."

Traxler poured his savings into starting his repair and maintenance asphalt business with a friend, called Advanced Asphalt. Traxler says they used this expensive trailer to do patching, crack filling and seal coating.

"It's a 16-foot car hauler basically with a seal-coating rig built on it," he said. "There's a 500-gallon steel drum with an air powered agitation system that that makes our sealer."

Traxler says he had been storing the trailer next to a friend's business on Orchard Lake Road near Telegraph. After he returned from Florida last week, he found his trailer gone. Traxler originally thought his friend may have moved it.

"He did not move it," he said. "So we came back here and found the metal shavings where the lock was drilled out."

They then called the Oakland County Sheriff's Office. Traxler believes the trailer may have been taken last Thursday night or early Friday morning. He believes the thieves have done this before and will again.

"The way that it was done, they obviously cased it out," said Traxler. "They had it all set up ready to go."

Traxler says right now, he can't afford to replace the stolen trailer.

FOX 2: "How much are you losing by not having it?

"Oh I can't even begin to tell you," Traxler said. "We have jobs coming in that we're not able to do at this time."

He said he's got to make up for what he's lost and will figure something out, while reminding everyone he's still open for business.

Traxler hopes what he's put years of work into getting isn't gone for good. Desperate to get his trailer back, he is offering a $500 cash reward for its return no questions asked.

If you have any information call the Oakland County Sheriff's Office at (248) 858-4951.