Stolen merchandise for sale online after thieves loot freight train on West Side, residents say

CHICAGO (WLS) -- As authorities continue to investigate a railway cargo theft that happened in broad daylight Friday afternoon on the city's West Side, nearby residents say they have seen some of the stolen goods go up for sale.

The video in the player above is from a previous report.

At least six people have been arrested for stealing items from the cargo train, Union Pacific officials said.

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ABC7 spoke with people living near the scene in South Austin who said they've already seen some of the stolen merchandise for sale on the streets and on social media.

Chicago police are still looking for possible suspects who are responsible for stealing hundreds of boxes of merchandise from a freight train, where officers responded just before 4 p.m. Friday to the 400 block of North Lamon Avenue.

Chopper 7 captured dozens of people ransacking the Union Pacific rail line near Lake and Lockwood, coming away with what appeared to be boxes of TVs.

One woman living nearby, who did not want to be identified, said she's shocked by how much merchandise was stolen.

"I'm a little discouraged about this being in our neighborhoods," she said. "I understand people need to make money, but this is not the way to do it."

The resident told ABC7 she's already seen people selling the stolen merchandise in the area.

The situation comes as Illinois Senator Dick Durbin helped pass a federal law last year, which will now force retailers and websites like Facebook to regulate the sale of stolen goods online. Otherwise, those companies could face fines of up to $50,000.

The Illinois Merchant Association says brazen crimes like this impact the entire community.

"There's a myth that there's insurance for this. There is no insurance for this," Illinois Merchant Association President Rob Karr said. "We are all victims of retail crime... because for every item that's stolen there's no sales tax collected... that means the sales tax is not available to fund the resources that we all rely upon."

As police and rail line authorities continue to investigate the reoccurring thefts, residents are hoping changes can be made to prevent them from happening in the future.

"I would really like if the trains... if they have to stop... there would be a guard or they just keep moving until there's a stop where no one can get on the tracks," the anonymous resident said. "That would be helpful."

Authorities have asked the public to report any suspicious online sales of merchandise.