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Helicopter footage captured a mob of around 30 people looting a freight train in Chicago on Friday, stealing items like air fryers and TVs. Police reported some suspects were armed.
The incident occurred at 2:40 p.m. on the city’s West Side as the train, carrying double-stacked containers, was stopped for an interchange. Six people were arrested, and footage shows thieves opening container doors and stealing boxed goods. Police said suspects had guns and lock openers, according to Fox 32 Chicago.
Suspects loaded stolen goods into several vehicles, including a white box truck. As the looting unfolded, Chicago police arrived, drawing their weapons and forcing the mob to flee, as seen in video footage. According to Union Pacific, the incident occurred near Lake St. and Lockwood Avenue. Witnesses told ABC7 the burglary had been ongoing for nearly an hour before police intervened.
“Rail burglaries are not victimless crimes, and they pose a safety threat to the public, our employees and local law enforcement officers,” a Union Pacific spokesperson tells Fox News Digital.
đ¨#BREAKING: Dozens of people are actively looting and breaking into a cargo train â°â°đ#Chicago | #illinoisâ°â°At this time, an estimated 50 to 150 people or more are actively looting and breaking into a cargo train on the west side of Chicago, Illinois. Police have been⌠pic.twitter.com/SwDIOnSE90
â R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) October 11, 2024
Union Pacific reported that some of the stolen merchandise has been recovered. The incident disrupted passenger traffic, with Metra halting Union Pacific West Line trains near Kedzie at 4:40 p.m. due to “ongoing police activity.” By 6:50 p.m., service resumed between Elburn and Maywood but remained suspended between Maywood and Chicago, with riders advised to find alternate transportation. Train robberies like this are not rare in Chicago, with a similar incident occurring in August, according to ABC7.
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