Photo: wuttipong charoensub / Moment / Getty Images
Shocking video footage captured by news helicopters showed dozens of armed thieves ransacking a freight train in Chicago on Friday (October 11) afternoon.
Union Pacific said the train was stopped and awaiting an interchange with a partner railroad around 2:30 p.m. when a group of around 30 people swarmed the double-decker cargo train.
"When I seen the guys up there, I'm like, 'Eh, this doesn't look right,'" witness Princess Shaw told WLS. "As we were coming down, we saw the gentleman on Cicero itself, opening up the freight train."
Authorities said the men were armed with guns and had bolt cutters to break open the train cars.
Wild video footage showed the thieves carrying large boxes off the train and taking them to nearby trucks. The brazen operation lasted for about an hour before police arrived, allowing the thieves to make off with a wide range of items, including televisions, air fryers, and other home appliances.
The police arrested six people as they fled the scene.
"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 said.