11 indicted in Arizona train heist; $200K+ of stolen Nike shoes seized
Federal officials say 10 of those arrested were in the U.S. illegally
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Nearly a dozen people have been indicted in connection to a train heist that occurred in Northern Arizona.
Federal documents obtained by Arizona’s Family Investigates reveal most of those people were in the United States illegally, and several of them had previously been removed from the country.
How they were caught
Authorities say that on Jan. 13, a BNSF train reported a cut air hose near Perrin, Arizona, about 20 miles northwest of Williams. That alerted authorities because they say it’s known that criminals often do it to force the train into an emergency stop.
Federal agents say it’s so the crooks can control when the train is stopped to steal the cargo, but it’s dangerous because it can cause the train to derail.
A short time later, a BNSF police officer drives by and notices about 200 to 250 “master cases” of Nike shoes next to the railroad. Agents say each master case contains six pairs of shoes of an unreleased style with a suggested retail price of $225 per pair.
About eight miles away, a white Ford box truck marked with the word “Eddie’s” was seen with a temporary license plate registered out of Peoria. Arizona’s Family spoke with the business owner with markings on the truck who said that he sold the truck in November. Later in the day, a blue Toyota Camry was spotted near where the truck was. Williams police conducted a traffic stop and identified the driver and the passenger.
Four trackers had been placed within the Nike shoes. Later that evening, the Ford truck was seen headed toward the shoes, and not much later, a U-Haul was spotted speeding off in the same direction.
Court documents say the U-Haul was spotted near the shoes’ site, and when law enforcement arrived again, only six boxes were left. Agents say one of the trackers matched the truck’s location, and the other truckers matched the U-Haul’s location.
Authorities maintained surveillance until state troopers pulled over the drivers of the Ford truck on Interstate 40 near Kingman, Arizona. At that location, the driver and his passenger got out of the truck, and the driver tried to run away, jumping over a barb-wired fence and hiding in a tree structure, but he was ultimately found injured by law enforcement.
What charges do they face
During the search, the agent found 150 master cases of the unreleased pair of shoes, with an estimated retail value of $202,500.
Authorities later found the U-Haul truck abandoned, but investigators were able to trace a large SUV traveling in the same area as the U-Haul. Coconino County sheriff deputies conducted a traffic stop that night in Williams, where Nunez-Mares was detained and identified as the driver with eight passengers.
Court papers say Nunez-Mares rented the U-Haul in Williams and was due to return it in Cudahy, California, near Los Angeles a few days after the heist.
Ten of the 11 people arrested were in the U.S. illegally, and four were previously removed from the country. All are facing possession of stolen goods from an interstate shipment and their respective immigration-related charges.
Arizona’s Family previously reported about how bandits in December made off nearly $50,000 worth of Nike shoes bound for Dick’s Sporting Goods.
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