PEORIA COUNTY, Ill. — Two Peoria County men have been arrested after officials say they intentionally derailed a train just outside of Bartonville.
According to a Peoria County Sheriff's Office news release, the two men were detained on Monday, Nov. 18, after Bartonville police located them walking in the area of the derailment near the train crossing on Sanitation Road.
Officials said that around 3 p.m., a Union Pacific Locomotive engineer called police after seeing the men near a derailing device. An investigation determined that the men, identified as 18-year-old Caleb Finley and 20-year-old Jimmy Johnson, both of Bartonville, moved a derailing device that was attached to the rails and watched the train go over the device before derailing from the tracks.
The damage to the train and the railroad tracks is estimated to be over $80,000. Officials said that a crane will be needed to place the train back onto the tracks.
Finley and Johnson were arrested and charged with the following crimes:
- Criminal Damage to Property
- Criminal Trespass to Property
- Reckless Conduct
- Placing an Object on Railroad Tracks
There were no injuries resulting from the derailment.
