YCSO DEPUTY HELPS IN THE APPREHENSION OF TRAIN BURGLARY SUSPECTS

Published on October 23, 2024

Thanks to some patient and professional actions by a YCSO deputy, two suspects in the burglary of a BNSF train near Seligman were ultimately captured about 75 miles away near Kingman. 

The whole thing began in the early morning hours of October 19th, when YCSO was alerted by BNSF that a burglary of a parked train was in progress near Old Route 66 and Fort Rock Rd. A deputy in the area was able to respond and arrived quickly. He saw four vehicles, including a large box truck, leaving the area after the suspects had loaded items from the train into the truck.. All four vehicles then entered westbound I-40. The deputy attempted to get assistance from other YCSO deputies and DPS personnel due to the remote location. Unfortunately, none were close to the area, so the deputy followed the convoy of suspect vehicles for several miles without initiating a traffic stop. 

He was finally able to line up DPS assistance coming from Kingman, including three patrol cars and a Ranger helicopter. After a DPS trooper was able to join the line of cars, he pulled in behind the box truck and activated his lights for a traffic stop, but the truck driver refused to stop. The highway narrowed to one lane in a construction zone, and the box truck veered into the median, across I-40 into the eastbound lanes, and narrowly missed a head-on collision with an oncoming semi-truck. At this point a DPS trooper used a PIT maneuver with his vehicle to stop the box truck, and the driver fled the scene on foot. He was captured a short distance away.

In addition, DPS officers stopped two other suspect vehicles, the drivers fled, and one was eventually captured. Items from the train burglary were discovered inside the box truck.

None of the law enforcement personnel were injured, and the two suspects were booked into jail in Kingman.