Off roaders detained for questioning in possible link to railroad thefts
Two off-road enthusiasts who were seen driving on private property and the Union Pacific trackside right-of-way were briefly detained for questioning then released by the Kern County Sheriff’s Department and Union Pacific Railroad police on Feb. 18, after residents in the Marcel Road area observed them stop and load a large cardboard box into a pick-up truck. Area resident Mary Janicke said the suspects parked on private property before crossing the tracks and heading directly for the semi-obscured package near a culvert, off to the trackside. “I saw them suspiciously running across the tracks and hardly anyone does that,” she said, indicating that most rail fans usually walk along the tracks, taking pictures. “I knew something else was up and I immediately thought of the railroad bandits.” Residents in the area have been hyper-vigilant to trespassers since an ongoing investigation was acknowledged in October of 2006 by Union Pacific representative Mark Davis. Davis indicated that a rise in thefts from stopped trains in the Tehachapi Loop area had brought out railroad police to inform local ranchers and homeowners to be on the lookout for thieves.
Full story here
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.