MOHAVE COUNTY, AZ - On Thursday, March 27th a northern Arizona train robbery resulted in two vehicles being pulled over and police going on an 80-mile chase that ended near the California-Arizona state line.
According to FOX10, train robberies targeting Nike shoes have become a common occurrence in Arizona and California as of late. The Hualapai Nation Police Department (HNPD) said that two vehicles were pulled over in connection to the robbery. One of the vehicles had eight people in in; they all fled when they were pulled over. The male driver was detained and Nike shoes were recovered near the car.
12News reported that the other vehicle led police on an 80-mile chase. The SUV pulled over under the "move over" law after failing to yield for an emergency vehicle. The woman driver was told to get out of the car after police saw evidence from the train robberies. She complied before jumping back in the SUV and taking off.
An officer was reportedly hit by the vehicle, but was not injured. Police pursued the suspect for 80 miles until she lost control of the SUV in a construction zone and was ejected from the vehicle. She only suffered minor injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Police said she had a male passenger in the car who was also arrested. Police said both were found to be in the U.S. illegally.
They were booked into the Mohave County Detention Center for their alleged involvement in the robberies. It is still unclear if the eight people who ran from the scene have been found.
This incident is the latest in a series of train robberies targeting Nike shoes. Thousands and possibly millions of dollars in stolen goods have been reported as suspects allegedly cut hose lines to trigger emergency brakes, then take what they can from the stopped train. At the end of February, 12News reported that during a January 13th robbery in Perrin, Arizona, suspects cut the air brake hoses and made off with more than 1,900 pairs of unreleased Nikes worth more than $440,000.
Many of those shoes were Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 4s, which were not going to be available to the public until March 14th and retail at $225 per pair. Authorities are investigating at least 10 heists targeting BNSF trains in remote areas of the Mojave Desert since March 2024.
All but one of those resulted in the theft of Nike sneakers. Eleven people charged in the January 13th burglary have pleaded not guilty and were all ordered detained until trial. All 11 defendants were charged with possessing or receiving stolen goods from interstate shipment. Ten of the 11 are Mexican nationals who were in the United States illegally.
According to Brynna Cooke, a Homeland Security Investigations special agent, the suspects in these incidents are aided by accomplices in "follow vehicles," which track the rail cars. The suspects in the January 13th heist were caught with the help of tracking devices that were inside some of the boxes.
According to FOX10, train robberies targeting Nike shoes have become a common occurrence in Arizona and California as of late. The Hualapai Nation Police Department (HNPD) said that two vehicles were pulled over in connection to the robbery. One of the vehicles had eight people in in; they all fled when they were pulled over. The male driver was detained and Nike shoes were recovered near the car.
12News reported that the other vehicle led police on an 80-mile chase. The SUV pulled over under the "move over" law after failing to yield for an emergency vehicle. The woman driver was told to get out of the car after police saw evidence from the train robberies. She complied before jumping back in the SUV and taking off.
An officer was reportedly hit by the vehicle, but was not injured. Police pursued the suspect for 80 miles until she lost control of the SUV in a construction zone and was ejected from the vehicle. She only suffered minor injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Police said she had a male passenger in the car who was also arrested. Police said both were found to be in the U.S. illegally.
They were booked into the Mohave County Detention Center for their alleged involvement in the robberies. It is still unclear if the eight people who ran from the scene have been found.
This incident is the latest in a series of train robberies targeting Nike shoes. Thousands and possibly millions of dollars in stolen goods have been reported as suspects allegedly cut hose lines to trigger emergency brakes, then take what they can from the stopped train. At the end of February, 12News reported that during a January 13th robbery in Perrin, Arizona, suspects cut the air brake hoses and made off with more than 1,900 pairs of unreleased Nikes worth more than $440,000.
Many of those shoes were Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 4s, which were not going to be available to the public until March 14th and retail at $225 per pair. Authorities are investigating at least 10 heists targeting BNSF trains in remote areas of the Mojave Desert since March 2024.
All but one of those resulted in the theft of Nike sneakers. Eleven people charged in the January 13th burglary have pleaded not guilty and were all ordered detained until trial. All 11 defendants were charged with possessing or receiving stolen goods from interstate shipment. Ten of the 11 are Mexican nationals who were in the United States illegally.
According to Brynna Cooke, a Homeland Security Investigations special agent, the suspects in these incidents are aided by accomplices in "follow vehicles," which track the rail cars. The suspects in the January 13th heist were caught with the help of tracking devices that were inside some of the boxes.
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