BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — Bakersfield police arrested 12 people and issued a trespassing citation during a surveillance operation targeting scrap metal thefts from railroad freight cars, after thefts along the Joaquin Railroad were estimated at $400,000 over six months.
The Bakersfield Police Department conducted a surveillance operation on Tuesday, October 27th, 2026, in response to ongoing concerns about scrap metal thefts from railroad freight cars.
The operation involved several specialized units, including Vice, General Investigations, Organized Retail Crime, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones), and the Impact Unit.
Police said during the operation, investigators saw multiple people breaking into four railroad freight cars that had recently been staged on the rail system in the 2000 block of Potomac Avenue, about a mile away from Sierra Recycling Center.
When officers arrived, several people tried to run away, and detectives found them with the help of the drone.
Police said the operation ended in 12 arrests for burglary and grand theft, and one trespassing citation.
Investigators also seized more than 70 grams of suspected methamphetamine, along with other items believed to be connected to drug sales, according to police.
Bakersfield police arrested 12 people and issued a trespassing citation during a surveillance operation targeting scrap metal thefts from railroad freight cars, after thefts along the Joaquin Railroad were estimated at $400,000 over six months. PHOTO: BPD
Bakersfield police said before the operation, scrap metal thefts from railroad freight cars along the San Joaquin Railroad and near Sierra Recycling Center were estimated to have ended in about $400,000 in losses over a six-month period.
This operation was conducted through coordinated efforts between the Bakersfield Police Department, the San Joaquin Railroad, and Sierra Recycling Center.