Two of the train bandits regularly robbing Nike shoes from BNSF railway in northern Arizona have been arrested. The string of nearly identical heists began about a year ago. Roughly once a month the same crew’s been successfully using the same tactics. It looks like they took the bucket to the well once too often and the bottom fell out.
Train bandits busted
A very successful crew of train bandits has been robbing BNSF trains on a regular schedule.
There isn’t much in northern Arizona where the freight rolls through from California except sand, sagebrush and rattlesnakes. That makes it a perfect place for ambush. This time, authorities were ready and waiting. Tribal authorities.
According to the Hualapai Nation Police Department, “two people suspected to be involved in train robberies in Arizona were arrested on Thursday and both were determined to be in the country illegally.”
On March 27, they pressed their luck just a little too hard.
Thieves have been hijacking freight cars in a whole string of train heists. They all have a common denominator, Nike sneakers.
The heists have resulted “in the theft of more than $2 million worth of new Nike sneakers, including many that haven’t hit the retail market yet.”
Ran from the scene
As police relate, “eight people ran from the scene” as cops “pulled over an SUV that was suspected of being involved in the robberies.”
Apparently, they were in the process of loading the goods already stolen from the train. “The male driver was detained and Nike shoes were recovered near the vehicle.”
Separately, a second SUV was contacted nearby. It attracted cop attention by failing to “move over” for an emergency vehicle. At first, the female driver cooperated. That ended when “police saw evidence from the train robberies.”
They told her to get out of the car. “She complied before jumping back in the SUV and taking off.” She assaulted an officer in the process. “An officer was reportedly hit by the vehicle but was not injured.”
Once she started moving, she kept on going like the Energizer Bunny. “Police pursued that suspect for about 80 miles to near the Arizona-California border on I-40.” It didn’t end well. “The woman lost control of the SUV in a construction zone and was ejected from the SUV.” Seat belts save lives.
“She only suffered minor injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.” After resolving their involvement with the train robberies, both can expect to be deported.
