2 men charged after brazen freight train burglary on Chicago's West Side

CHICAGO - Two men have been charged in connection with a brazen freight train burglary that occurred on Chicago's West Side last week. 

Derrick Weathers, 53, faces a felony charge of possession of cannabis (100–500 grams) and a misdemeanor charge for theft of property valued at less than $500. Lemar Hollingsworth, 21, has been charged with a felony for theft of property under $500, police said.

Derrick Weathers, 53

The charges relate to a chaotic incident in the Austin neighborhood on Friday afternoon. Around 2:40 p.m., a mob swarmed a freight train stopped on the tracks near the 4700 block of W. Kenzie, before the theft spread to the area around Lake Street and Lockwood Avenue.

SkyFOX video footage captured scenes of thieves looting cargo containers and making off with stolen goods. According to Union Pacific, the train had been awaiting an interchange with a partner railroad when the group began prying open containers.

"Rail burglaries are not victimless crimes and they pose a safety threat to the public, our employees and local law enforcement officers," a spokesperson with Union Pacific said in a statement. 

In a bold display, thieves were seen loading the stolen items—including air fryers, appliances, and flat-screen TVs—into cars and, in one case, a box truck. Some of the merchandise has since been recovered, police said.

Chicago police and Metra officers responded to the scene, where up to 30 individuals were reportedly involved in the mass theft.

Six arrests were made on Friday, but by Monday, only two individuals—Weathers and Hollingsworth—had been formally charged.