A 26-year-old man was arrested Monday for jumping on a moving Amtrak train in California while he was under the influence. He is also accused of trying to manipulate train controls and activating the train whistle more than once.
Dylan Thomas Baldini, from McCloud, Calif., was taken into custody early Monday, according to a release sent to Yahoo Lifestyle by Sheriff Jon E. Lopey of the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO), where deputies responded to a radio call. They were joined by officers from the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and Mt. Shasta Police Department (MSPD).
Baldini allegedly jumped aboard the train’s backup engine in an area called Cantara Loop. SCSO says he was reportedly acting hostile and that crew members “feared for their safety and did not approach the suspect.” While haphazardly handling the controls, he tried to put the train in emergency stop mode, which would have endangered everyone on board.
At 1:18 a.m., an MSPD officer finally detained Baldini, who was turned over to an SCSO deputy. He was charged with pubic intoxication and “trespassing on railroad property and interfering and hindering the safe and efficient operation of a locomotive, railway car or train,” according to the release. Both charges are misdemeanors punishable by fines or prison time, or both. The man was examined at a local hospital and booked at the Siskiyou County Jail.
“We are grateful the prompt response from SCSO, MSPD and CHP helped to mitigate what could have been a very dangerous outcome on a moving train, which obviously involved actions that potentially jeopardized the safety of passengers, crew and others in the community,” said Sheriff Lopey. He added that the case is still under investigation.
Lopey told local TV station KTVL that his agency has notified the Homeland Security and Transportation departments of the incident.
Dang, and yeah, I know he endangered people, but who the hell jumps onto a moving train these days, shirtless, no less and starts “activating the train whistle?!!” This must be some deep-rooted alter-ego trip, maybe from childhood – cowboy movies or dreams of being an engineer. The psyche holds many ghosts.
I love trains. I love train whistles. I love train-tracks.
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