Three Arrested in Bold Golden Valley Train Heist Bid for $347K Nike Shoe Wealth

A recent train robbery attempt in Golden Valley was foiled by swift action from law enforcement. On August 13, at approximately 11:43 p.m., a burglary in progress was reported at the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad, located near milepost 529, roughly 16 miles west of Kingman.

According to Justice Court records and police narratives, BNSF Special Agent Lance Cencelewski coordinated with the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) and the Department of Public Safety (DPS) in response to the incident.

Upon arrival, authorities discovered five vehicles at the crime scene, two of which contained bolt cutters and sawzalls. A DPS helicopter later spotted three suspects entering a vehicle, which was subsequently tracked and stopped at the Flying J truckstop in Yucca, leading to their arrest.

Cencelewski’s report further indicated that the master of an eastbound train had informed them that between six to eight angle cocks on the train assembly had been tampered with, and multiple 40-foot containers on 53-foot rail cars were disturbed.

“We observed an upper container with both doors open. It appeared a fourth of the load of boxes were missing,” he noted in the report, highlighting concerns about significant theft.

Investigators found 584 cases of various Nike tennis shoes along with 65 loose pairs, all valued at approximately $347,170, left offloaded and scattered in three separate locations. Fortunately, all merchandise was successfully recovered following the apprehension of the suspects.

The vehicles implicated in the burglary, including three Chevy Tahoes, a Dodge pickup, and a Chevy box truck, have been towed back to Kingman for further examination.

The individuals arrested are identified as Manuel Rodrigues, 25, from Lancaster, California, along with Jesus Soto-Beltran and Antonio Jimenez, both 26, hailing from Mesa. They face multiple charges, including burglary, possession of burglary tools, and criminal trespass.