Thieves raid rail cargo containers in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES: Thieves have been raiding cargo containers on trains near downtown Los Angeles for months, taking packages belonging to people across America and leaving the tracks blanketed with discarded boxes.
The packages are from retailers including Amazon, REI and others, CBSLA reported Thursday. The sea of ​​debris left behind includes things the thieves apparently didn’t think were valuable enough to take.
While CBSLA cameras were at the scene, a man was seen running away with a container used to hold small packages, and a Union Pacific Railroad Police officer was seen chasing two others, apparently Were going through the package.
There was a similar scene in November, when NBC4 featured thousands of boxes thrown along tracks lined with homeless camps northeast of downtown in the Lincoln Park area.
As NBC4 reports, passing trains had doors open and containers carried with packets. The station said the video showed two people, one of whom looked like a bolt cutter, walking along the tracks.
Union Pacific said in a statement to CBSLA that the railroad is concerned about the increasing theft of goods in California.
“We have increased the number of Union Pacific Special Agents on patrol, and we have used and discovered additional technologies to help us combat this criminal activity. We also work with our local law enforcement partners and elected leaders.” Will continue to do so,” Rail said.
Luis Rosas, who works for about $20 an hour for a company subcontracted by Union Pacific to salvage items from tracks in the Los Angeles area, says he’s encountered brazen thieves in action before. Using bolt cutters, they break locks on containers and load vans or trucks with stolen goods.
Rojas has been doing this work almost daily for almost six months and when told not to engage in confrontation, he is still terrified.
“They don’t even run anymore. They do it right in front of us,” he told The Associated Press on Friday, wearing a bright yellow vest before work to pick up car tires on the side of the tracks. So I was shocked. I was amazed by it.”