LOS ANGELES—According to reports, California’s homeless population have been pilfering through Union Pacific railroad cars at the intersection of Pablo Street and Valley Boulevard since the train derailment on January 15.
Thieves have been rummaging through packages that were shipped through Amazon and other companies across the U.S. The site littered with discarded items, boxes, and packing material garnered national attention.
Union Pacific sent Los Angeles County District Attorney, George Gascon a letter regarding the mass looting taking place in the railcars in Los Angeles. Gascon initially deflected the blame for the problem, indicating that Union Pacific should take better care of their cargo.
Last month, Union Pacific sent L.A. D.A. George Gascon a letter about the mass looting of their trains & expressed frustration with Gascon’s soft on crime policies. 100+ arrests, most suspects released within 24 hours on zero bail. UP now considering avoiding LA County. @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/9UDRuHLvtd
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) January 15, 2022
Gascon has committed to working with law enforcement and Union Pacific officials to hold the perpetrators of the thefts accountable.
According to the Union Pacific (UP) news source, Inside Track, California Governor Gavin Newsom agrees with UP and local law enforcement’s call for action.
Inside Track reported that “Newsom and Adrian Guerrero, Union Pacific’s general director-Policy and Partnerships, Corporate Relations, joined workers from Union Pacific, UPS and Caltrans prior to the press conference to pick up the debris left by the thefts, which have garnered national attention.”
Governor Newsom indicated he was for an “All government approach,” to prevent thefts and prosecute the individuals involved.
During a clean-up effort that took place in downtown Los Angeles, Governor Newsom stated:
“We’re stepping things up, and we’re not condoning what happened here. We need to hold people accountable, and we need to do better helping each other.”
