A suspected train thief was arrested in San Bernardino County on Thursday morning after officers allegedly found hundreds of boxes of stolen Hot Wheels toys valued at more than $50,000.
The incident began with a call reported around 3 a.m. In audio later shared on the police department’s Facebook page, a caller warned, “Yeah, they’re robbing the trains down here at the end of Maple Street.”
A body-camera recording then showed an officer taking up a position near South 7th Street and South La Cadena Drive. The officer said he could hear someone nearby and appeared to wait for the suspected thief to leave.
“I can hear them loading up some boxes right now,” the officer said. Moments later, he added, “Alright, it looks like a black truck is pulling out right now.”
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The officer quickly returned to his patrol vehicle and pursued a black Chevrolet Silverado pickup. The truck was stopped a short time later, and the driver exited with his hands placed on his head before officers took him into custody.
“We derailed his plans!” the Colton Police Department wrote in a post celebrating the arrest.
According to police, officers recovered 350 boxes filled with multiple Hot Wheels cars. Investigators put the total value of the merchandise at approximately $54,000.
The suspect, whose identity was not released, was booked at the West Valley Detention Center on suspicion of burglary, possession of stolen property and grand theft.