Banning Freight Train Heist: 1 Arrest Announced

BANNING, CA — A freight train heist in Banning led to the arrest Monday of a local woman, but there was no word on her two cohorts.

Billie Jack Turner, 49, of Banning was behind bars Tuesday morning in county jail with no bail set for her, according to jail records.

Her arrest came following an investigation into the alleged midday heist of a freight train that was stopped near Sunset Avenue. During the Dec. 14 incident, Banning Police Department officers spotted two males unloading packages from the locomotive into a gold Ford Expedition.

When the officers approached the duo, they fled on foot. The Ford driver, who turned out to be Turner, hit the gas pedal and tried to flee westbound along the railroad tracks.

"When she ran out of room, she turned her vehicle around and accelerated towards the officers, who were on foot. The officers were able to jump out of the way of the moving vehicle down an embankment to avoid injury," according to Banning police.

"The female fled in the Expedition with what was believed to be packages containing guitars that had been stolen from the train," police said.

At approximately 10:30 a.m. Monday, Banning police found the Ford and Turner in the 100 block of N. Alessandro Road. When she saw the officers, Turner tried to escape by going through a business and out its back door.

It didn't work. Police quickly caught up with her and found goods stolen from the train, according to the police department.

Turner was booked into Banning's Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon on police and violating her parole terms. Investigators are pursuing bail to be set at no less than $1 million, jail records show.

"Turner was discovered to be on California Department of Corrections Parole for burglary," according to Banning PD.

There were no reports of injury to police and no update on Turner's alleged cohorts.