Arizona BNSF train burglary investigation leads to discovery of over $500K worth of stolen goods: sheriff

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  (Coconino County Sheriff's Office)

Authorities say over a half million dollars worth of stolen goods were recovered after a train was burglarized in northern Arizona.

What we know:

The Coconino County Sheriff's Office says BNSF workers on May 29 reported that several people were removing merchandise from a stopped train near Meteor Crater and loading it into two vehicles parked near the tracks. 

Detectives and federal agents responded and found one of the vehicles leaving the scene. The vehicle was stopped, and two people inside were arrested.

Deputies near Williams then spotted a box truck on I-40 matching the description of one of the vehicles believed to be involved in the train burglary. When deputies tried pulling over the truck, it didn't stop and crashed. Two people who were inside the truck ran away on foot and were not caught.

The sheriff's office says the total value of the recovered stolen property exceeds $500,000.

What you can do:

The Coconino County Sheriff's Office is asking anyone with information on this case or other northern Arizona train burglaries to call them at 928-774-4523.

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The Source: Information for this story was gathered from a news release by the Coconino County Sheriff's Office on June 4, 2026.

Crime and Public SafetyCoconino CountyNews