Wild News helicopter footage captured the moment a gang of about 30 people, some of whom police say were armed, ransacked a freight train in Chicago on Friday, making off with appliances such as air fryers and flat-screen TVs.
At least six people were arrested following the incident, which occurred around 2:40 p.m. when the double-stack train was stopped and waiting for a transfer with a partner railroad on the city's West Side, Union Pacific told Fox News Digital.
Swarms of thieves can be seen opening container doors and then looting the boxed goods. According to police radio communications, the suspects were armed with guns and lock picks, Fox 32 Chicago reported, citing police.
The train was stopped awaiting a transfer with a partner railway, when thieves began opening containers.
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The suspects load the stolen goods into several vehicles, and in at least one case, a white box truck shows up on the scene to help the looters take their ill-gotten gains.
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“They're getting creative, they're bringing a U-Haul to the alley now,” a police officer can be heard saying on police radio.
As the robbery takes place in daylight, Chicago Police Department (CPD) officers arrive on the scene and draw their weapons, forcing the crowd to flee the scene, video footage shows. The dramatic incident occurred near Lake St. and Lockwood Avenue, Union Pacific told Fox News Digital.
Witnesses told ABC7 the burglary happened almost an hour before police arrived.
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“Railway burglaries are not a victimless crime and pose a safety risk to the public, our employees and local law enforcement,” a Union Pacific spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
Union Pacific says some of the stolen goods have been recovered.
The spillover from the incident halted passenger traffic around 4:40 p.m. Metra announced that inbound and outbound Union Pacific West Line trains had stopped near Kedzie due to “ongoing police activity,” according to Fox 32.
At 6:50 p.m., Metra said UPW train service had resumed between Elburn and Maywood, but remained suspended between Maywood and Chicago, warning riders to seek alternative transportation.
Train robberies are not uncommon in the Windy City, as a similar incident occurred in August, ABC7 reports.
Original article source: A gang of up to thirty looters, some armed, loots a freight train in Chicago
