San Bernardino County authorities have recovered approximately $30,000 worth of high-value Lego sets from an abandoned vehicle in the unincorporated community of Newberry Springs. The discovery was made during a routine vehicle check on National Trails Highway and Pioneer Road, where a deputy observed numerous boxes inside the van.
Suspecting the items were connected to recent thefts from freight trains in the region, the officer contacted BNSF Railway Police.
BNSF Police confirmed that the 123 boxes contained McLaren F1 Lego sets, with each unit valued at roughly $230. The Sheriff’s Department stated that the merchandise was linked to a specific boxcar burglary. No arrests were made in connection with this particular recovery, according to the department's release.
The incident is part of a broader pattern of cargo theft affecting isolated sections of the Mojave Desert. Industry estimates compiled by the Association of American Railroads indicate that more than 75,000 such incidents were reported in 2025. The trade group attributes the increase to organized criminal networks.
Investigators have noted that these groups often board slow-moving trains to steal high-value goods, sometimes using tactics to force an emergency stop. Stolen items are frequently hidden in nearby brush or loaded into trucks until they can be transported away from the scene.
Recent events in the area have included a fire in a rail car loaded with lithium-ion batteries in June, which occurred during a burglary attempt in Cajon Pass. Additionally, last week, a man suspected of burglarizing a rail car allegedly fired a handgun at a BNSF Police officer from a moving train in the same location. The officer was not injured in the incident.
