An engineer was arrested for intentionally derailing his train in an attempt to crash into the USNS Mercy, a hospital ship docked in the Port of Los Angeles.
According to a complaint filed by the California Department of Justice, Eduardo Moreno, 44, was suspicious that the USNS Mercy had ties to the global pandemic and tried to warn people of a government takeover plot.
The affidavit stated that a California Highway Patrol officer witnessed the train crash into:
"a concrete barrier at the end of the track, smash into a steel barrier, smash into a chain-link fence, slide through a parking lot, slide across another lot filled with gravel, and smash into a second chain-link fence."
The locomotive slowed to a halt 250 yards away from the docked ship.
The CHP officer arrested Moreno, who tried to run from the wreckage on foot.
You can watch the news report of the crash site below.
Train Engineer Arrested For Derailing Train Near USNS Mercyyoutu.be
The USNS Mercy arrived in Los Angeles last week to serve as a referral hospital for non-infected patients to relieve the burden on shore-based hospitals inundated with those affected by the respiratory illness.
The ship is equipped with 1,000 beds and capable of performing general surgeries.
Nobody was injured from Tuesday afternoon's incident. The Mercy remained intact and undamaged.
The affidavit did mention the derailed train leaked a substantial amount of fuel that required the clean-up efforts of "fire and other hazardous materials personnel."
The locomotive was not the only thing that went off the rails.
Moreno made a series of nonsensical comments at the CHP officer, including:
"You only get this chance once."
For someone hellbent on his once-in-a-lifetime plot, the engineer did not come close to meeting his intended floating target.
Not by a longshot.
Before being taken into custody, Moreno also told the officer:
"The whole world is watching. I had to."
"People don't know what's going on here. Now they will."
But Twitter users already knew exactly what was going on.
This person fears it's only a matter of time before others among us crack under the strain.
Hopefully security measures are tightened to prevent worse from happening.
In an interview conducted by the Los Angeles Port Police, Moreno admitted that he "did it" and that he was suspicious of the Mercy for somehow being involved with the virus responsible for the pandemic.
The affidavit said the engineer acted alone and had not pre-planned the attack.
In a second interview, Moreno admitted that he derailed the train in order to "wake people up."
He additionally stated that he did not believe "the ship is what they say it's for."
The Los Angeles Port Police reviewed recorded footage obtained from the locomotive's cab.
One video showed the locomotive traveling at full speed, crashing into a number of barriers and coming within close proximity to three occupied vehicles.
A second recording showed Moreno from inside the train holding a lit flare.
The Justice Department charged Moreno with one count of train wrecking, which carries a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.
Fortunately for all on board the USNS Mercy, they were in the presence of the little engine that couldn't.
The book Conspiracy Theories is available here.
