3 suspects arrested after train robbery, 3 others on the run

SELIGMAN, Ariz. (KPHO/Gray News) – Police in Arizona said three people are in custody after they reportedly stole from a train before being tracked down by law enforcement.

The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office said workers on a BNSF train near Seligman, which is 70 miles west of Flagstaff, called 911 before midnight Friday. The workers told officers they had been broken into by people in a white box truck.

An officer arrived while the burglary was in progress.

The truck driver and another driver of another vehicle were traveling west on Interstate 40 with the deputy following them, the sheriff's office said.

The deputy then waited for assistance from multiple agencies.

Officials said the deputy continued to follow the suspects for miles before authorities attempted to stop the box truck in Kingman, about 67 miles west of Seligman. However, the driver did not stop.

Officials said they brought the truck driver to a stop twice using spike strips. They said the driver crossed the median before crossing into oncoming traffic.

A police officer then performed a PIT maneuver that stopped the truck.

The driver tried to run away but was quickly arrested, the sheriff's office said.

Another vehicle involved in the robbery was pursued for “several miles” until five people got out and fled into the desert, officials said.

Two of these suspects were arrested. Authorities said three of the six suspects were still on the run.

Officials have not released names of the suspects and it is unclear what was taken from the train.

The investigation is ongoing.

The sheriff's office said the number of train robberies in the country “exploded” last year and estimated that millions of dollars' worth of goods were stolen as a result.

“It seems like this is trending now. It's becoming more common and I think it's obviously a big problem,” said Scott Jones, legislative director for the Arizona State SMART Transportation Division.

In the second quarter of this year, there were 771 reported thefts from a train nationwide, a 33% increase compared to the same period in 2023, according to cargonet.com.

Jones believes part of the reason for the increase in train thefts is that the number of railroad police officers is decreasing and train length is increasing.

“It's only going to get worse until, in my opinion, they hire more police officers and shorten these trains so that they can control them in and out of their yards and not have to park them in the middle of the desert,” Jones said

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