Is it true that the victim of a stolen car can make a charge against the defendant and not get their money?

My ex/father of our child stole my vehicle and sold it to a junk yard. The junk yard claims that they have no evidence of my vehicle being there and my ex doesn’t have the recipient to prove that he sold my vehicle to that junk yard. The detective basically told me that I can charge my ex and not get any money or I can come in and settle for him to pay me back and supposedly face charges if he doesn’t pay me back. I just want to know the options that I have been told is accurate by the detective?