Train burglars arrested after driving by off-duty San Bernardino County deputy

An off-duty San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputy helped his colleagues recover nearly $50,000 in stolen train cargo after some of the suspected burglars drove by him on the freeway.

BNSF Railway investigators said the train heist happened last Friday at about 9:45 p.m. near Amboy, a rural area of San Bernardino County. Police said the burglary involved roughly 15-20 vehicles, several of which were white box trucks. 

About an hour later, a deputy was driving home after his shift at the department's Morongo Basin Station when he spotted a white box truck that matched BNSF's description. SBSD said the deputy immediately called it in to his colleagues, who later found it on Highway 62 near Cholla. 

Two suspects ditched the truck when a deputy tried to pull it over, while a third was detained by California Highway Patrol officers inside the cab.

One suspect got away after running through a dirt lot. A sheriff's department aircraft found the final suspect hiding in a bush. 

Suspects Eddiel Burgos, 30 and Pastor Pena Lerma, 43, were booked for commercial burglary and grand theft of cargo valued over $950.

"The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department encourages members of the community to remain alert and report suspicious activity," SBSD wrote in a statement.

Anyone with information on the burglary can contact the Morongo Basin Station at (760) 366-4175. Those wishing to remain anonymous can submit a We-Tip at https://mobile.catapultems.com/sbcsd/Sites or text "REPORT" to (844) 909-3006.