Deputies recover $150K in New Balance shoes after BNSF boxcar burglary

California deputies recovered more than $150,000 in New Balance shoes after reports of people breaking into BNSF Railroad boxcars. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s Barstow Station announced the recovery Aug. 24. Authorities arrested Leonardo Martinez Navarre, 29, after he fled a traffic stop near Daggett. Daggett is an unincorporated community in San Bernardino County, about 10 miles east of Barstow. Barstow sits in California’s Mojave Desert, along Interstate 15 between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

The call came at about 7:04 a.m. Monday near westbound Interstate 40 in Daggett. While heading toward the location, Barstow Station personnel saw a vehicle matching the suspects’ description. The driver headed west on I-40 before officers initiated a stop. Navarre exited and ran, according to the sheriff’s department.

Foot pursuit ends with arrest

Officers pursued Navarre on foot and took him into custody. BNSF Police inspected the stopped vehicle following the arrest. Railroad officers confirmed the merchandise came from a boxcar. The items included New Balance footwear valued above $150,000.

Authorities list BNSF Railroad as the victim in the cargo-theft case. Sheriff’s records identify Navarre as a transient from Perris, California. Perris is a city in Riverside County, southwest of the Barstow-Daggett area. Officials assigned case No. 082601378 to the investigation.

Sheriff’s department seeks information

The department has not identified other people connected to the reported break-in. Authorities also have not released the train’s route, shipper or intended destination. Investigators continue working the case, according to the announcement. The release does not say how many people entered the boxcars.

Anyone with information can contact Barstow Sheriff’s Station at 760-256-4838. Callers may also reach Sheriff Dispatch at 760-956-5001. Anonymous tipsters can text REPORT to We-Tip at 844-909-3006. The department also provides an online reporting portal.

Why It Matters

Rail cargo theft can move high-value inventory from a railcar to a highway within minutes. Freight professionals benefit from understanding how quickly a reported break-in can turn into a cargo-loss investigation.

Click here for more articles on cargo theft and freight fraud by Phil Brink.

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