Cargo train pulled into Cleveland with $355,000 worth of items missing, lawsuit says

Shredded boxes and packages and debris are strewn along at a section of the Union Pacific train tracks in downtown Los Angeles Friday, Jan. 14, 2022.
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CLEVELAND, Ohio— A train from Los Angeles pulled into Cleveland with some $355,000 worth of items missing, according to a federal lawsuit.

A Hong Kong company, Orient Overseas Container Line, filed the lawsuit last month in federal court in Cleveland, saying the merchandise was pilfered from a Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway train somewhere in California.

The company accused the railroad company of negligence and breach of contract.

Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer reached out to Burlington Northern Santa Fe officials for comment.

Los Angeles has recently seen a barrage of theft from trains. Union and Pacific Railways estimated in January that thefts from its trains in Los Angeles jumped 160% in 2021. Photos of railyards show boxes and items strewn about.

The missing cargo was headed to Jenne Inc., an Avon technology distributor. The lawsuit does not say exactly what was taken.

The shipment arrived on Nov. 1, 2021, in Los Angeles in good order, according to the lawsuit.

When the train arrived in Cleveland, the container’s original seal had been opened and replaced, and nearly 200 cartons of containers were damaged or missing, the lawsuit said.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe denied a claim for the missing merchandise, the lawsuit said.

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