YCSO DEPUTY IS A CRITICAL PART OF APPREHENDING TRAIN BURGLARY SUSPECTS

Published on October 22, 2024

Thanks to some patient and professional actions by a YCSO deputy, two suspects in the burglary of a BNSF train near Seligman were ultimately captured about 75 miles away near Kingman. 

The whole thing began in the early morning hours of October 19th, when YCSO was alerted by BNSF that a burglary of a parked train was in progress near Old Route 66 and Fort Rock Rd. A deputy in the area was able to respond, arrived at the scene in about five minutes, and saw four vehicles, including a large box truck, leaving the area. When the deputy began following the box truck, all four suspect vehicles entered westbound I-40. This began a long and eventful ride, as the deputy tailed the box truck on the interstate while attempting to get assistance from other YCSO deputies and DPS personnel. Unfortunately, none were close to the area, so the deputy followed the convoy of suspect vehicles for several miles without initiating a traffic stop. 

At one point, two of the suspect vehicles fell back, and got behind the deputy's patrol car as he continued to follow the box truck, putting him in a potential ambush-type situation. He patiently continued to follow the box truck for several miles and was finally able to line up DPS assistance coming from Kingman, including three patrol cars and a Ranger helicopter. At one point, the box truck exited the highway about 45 miles west of the train burglary scene, and at the bottom of an off-ramp the driver turned off all of the truck's lights. As the deputy approached in his patrol car, the driver turned his lights back on and re-entered westbound I-40, with the deputy once again behind him.

After a DPS trooper was able to join the line of cars, he pulled in behind the box truck and activated his lights for a traffic stop, but the truck driver refused to pull over. The YCSO deputy, along with two other DPS troopers who had joined in, all activated their lights, and spike strips were also deployed by additional DPS personnel, but the truck refused to stop. The highway narrowed to one lane in a construction zone, and the box truck veered into the median, across I-40 into the eastbound lanes, and narrowly missed a head-on collision with an oncoming semi-truck. At this point a DPS trooper used a PIT maneuver with his vehicle to stop the box truck, and the driver fled the scene on foot. He was captured a short distance away. In addition, DPS officers stopped two other suspect vehicles, the drivers fled, and one was eventually captured. 

None of the law enforcement personnel were injured, and the two suspects were booked into jail in Kingman. YCSO officials commended the deputy for his thoughtful and professional conduct during the dangerous situation, and also commended DPS for its excellent help in apprehending the suspects.