“At this time, there is no estimated time for completion and the cause remains under investigation,” Union Pacific spokeswoman Robynn Tysver told City News Service. “No one was injured.”
The derailment occurred around 4 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of San Pablo Street and Valley Boulevard, which was then blocked indefinitely, according to USC, which has its Health Science Campus nearby.
A total of 17 cars derailed, Union Pacific told KTLA.
The area has been plagued by thefts of cargo in recent days, and video from the scene showed the ground littered with empty boxes from companies such as UPS and Amazon.
Union Pacific has asked the L.A. County District’s Attorney’s Office to prosecute anyone arrested for the crimes.
“Some cases presented to our office by Union Pacific have been filed, such as burglary and grand theft, while others have been declined due to insufficient evidence,” the DA’s Office said in a statement provided to ABC7. “We make charging decisions based on the evidence. Our office takes Union Pacific’s concerns seriously and hopes to discuss this issue more in the coming weeks.”