A phone tip about people robbing trains near the end of Maple Street sent Colton police racing toward a black Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck early Thursday morning — and by the time the traffic stop was over, officers had recovered some of the stolen Hot Wheels merchandise from the truck and found additional boxes in the area, bringing the total to 350 boxes worth roughly $54,000. The driver was taken into custody without incident and booked on suspicion of burglary, possession of stolen property and grand theft.
According to KTLA, the Colton Police Department received the tip about the theft around 3 a.m., with the caller reporting that people were robbing trains near the end of Maple Street. An officer positioned himself near South 7th Street and South La Cadena Drive and heard the suspect loading boxes before observing a black truck pulling out of the area, the outlet reported. NBC Los Angeles similarly reported that officers responded to reports of a train burglary near Mason Street around 3 a.m., with video showing the officer positioning his patrol car near the intersection of 7th Street and La Cadena Drive before spotting the suspicious Silverado.
The officer followed the pickup before police conducted a traffic stop and arrested the driver, the station reported. Officers ultimately recovered 350 boxes of Hot Wheels toy cars valued at approximately $54,000, with each box containing multiple Hot Wheels vehicles. The suspect was booked into the West Valley Detention Center on suspicion of burglary, possession of stolen property and grand theft.
Conflicting Reports on the Suspect's Identity
Accounts of who was behind the wheel differ. NBC Los Angeles reported that authorities did not release the suspect's identity or provide additional details about the investigation. The San Bernardino Sun, however, reported that the man arrested was identified as 20-year-old Miguel Vega Acosta, who was arrested on suspicion of burglary, possession of stolen property and grand theft, according to the San Bernardino Sun. The Sun also reported that Vega Acosta's bail was set at $60,000 and that county jail records indicate he was released on bail.
Detectives were still working to determine whether anyone else was involved, per the same account, which noted that investigators were conducting an inquiry to see if they can identify other suspects. The Colton Police Department leaned into the moment on social media, writing that the suspect's getaway attempt fell short because, as the department put it, “his wheels weren't hot enough to get away!” according to KTLA.
Part of a Bigger Pattern Along the Rails
The Colton case is hardly an isolated incident. The Sun described it as the latest in a string of cargo thefts targeting BNSF freight cars across the Inland Empire this year. The Pasadena Star-News detailed several recent examples, including a September 17 incident in which thieves set a BNSF train on fire as a ploy to burglarize freight cars near Riverside, and a September 4 theft in rural Amboy in which thieves made off with $50,000 worth of Ariat boots and Dewalt construction equipment, according to the Pasadena Star-News. The outlet also reported that San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies recovered $150,000 worth of New Balance shoes in August after reports of an ongoing train cargo theft.
The problem extends well beyond San Bernardino County. In Arizona, authorities recovered nearly $490,000 in stolen cargo from two box trucks connected to a BNSF train burglary in Mohave County in June, with one truck's contents valued at $194,240 and a second truck holding an additional $295,680 worth of merchandise, according to FOX 10 Phoenix. That same outlet reported a separate May 29 burglary near Meteor Crater that led to a police chase and the recovery of more than $500,000 in stolen cargo.
California's Outsized Share of Cargo Crime
Industry data suggests California has become a hotspot for this kind of crime. California alone represented 38% of all recorded cargo theft incidents last year, up from 32% in 2024, according to FreightWaves. Together, California and Texas accounted for 58% of all reported cargo crime nationwide in 2025, a year in which the U.S. recorded 2,576 cargo thefts, FreightWaves reported, with projections suggesting annual incidents could rise to roughly 2,910 in 2026.
Warehouses and distribution centers were the most targeted sites nationally, accounting for 36% of incidents, per FreightWaves. Trains themselves remain vulnerable targets too, since cargo theft can occur while loads are in active transit or stationary in sidings or rail yards. For Colton, at least, the latest chapter in that pattern ended with hundreds of boxes of toy cars back in police custody and a driver arrested on suspicion of burglary, possession of stolen property and grand theft after a tip led officers to follow a pickup and conduct a traffic stop.
